Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.
We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store
Price range: £2.05 through £10.25
Smoked Saxon Cross Cheddar shows how traditional cheesemaking and careful smoking elevate humble cheddar. It’s rooted in craft and smoky twist, great alone or in adventurous pairings. Whether you’re pairing it with a glass of dry Riesling by the fire, building a cheese board, or melting it into your favourite comfort food, this smoked cheddar brings plenty of depth, character, and pure satisfaction.
Smoked Saxon Cross Cheddar is an English cheddar that blends classic cheese with oakwood-smoking. It starts as medium-strength, creamy cheddar, then is cold-smoked over oak for a bold, smoky edge.
Cheddar cheese historically comes from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, where the caves were perfect for ageing cheese, cool and damp, just right for maturing wheels long before anyone had a fridge.
Traditional cheddar is made by cutting and stacking curds, then ageing for flavour. Joseph Harding refined the process in the 1800s, making cheddar a national treat. Smoked Saxon Cross builds on this, starting with a balanced base before smoking adds character.
Smoking cheese has old roots. Early cheesemakers kept cheese by the fire for preservation, with smoky flavour as a bonus. Today smoking is for flavour. Saxon Cross is cold-smoked to absorb oaky notes without melting, offering layered taste in every slice.
Before the smoke even comes into play, the underlying cheddar offers a creamy texture and lovely firmness. It is tangy without being too strong with that slightly buttery, nutty profile typical of English cheddars.
This base makes the cheese easy to enjoy and versatile, rich enough to eat on its own without being too rich. Then the oak-smoking comes in, adding a warm, aromatic smoke that spreads across the palate. I get notes of toasted wood, caramel, and mild earthiness with a lingering finish that’s smoky but not acrid.
The smoke complements the cheese, not detracts from it, so you get a bold yet balanced flavour that’s really satisfying.
Jen’s note: Some smoked cheeses are artificially smoked. This means that the cheese has a smoke flavouring added to it. We prefer to stock cheeses which have actually been properly cold-smoked.
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, vegetarian rennet, salt
Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:
Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal
After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.
