Description
Tunworth Cheese
About Tunworth
Tunworth is one of the great success stories of modern British cheesemaking. Inspired by Camembert, it has a soft, bloomy rind, a gloriously creamy interior and plenty of earthy, mushroomy character — but this isn’t simply Britain’s answer to a French classic. Tunworth has built a reputation entirely of its own.
The cheese was created in Hampshire by Stacey Hedges and became one of the cheeses that helped put modern British soft cheese firmly on the map. It has won countless admirers over the years — including Raymond Blanc, who famously described it as “the best Camembert in the world.”
These days Tunworth is part of the Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses family, but its Hampshire beginnings remain an important part of the cheese’s story.
From Hampshire Beginnings
Tunworth’s story began in the early 2000s when Stacey Hedges set out to make a British cheese inspired by traditional Camembert.
Having studied the techniques used in Normandy, Stacey began making her own soft, bloomy-rind cheese in Hampshire. Tunworth quickly developed a reputation as something rather special, winning Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards in both 2006 and 2013.
And I think that’s an important distinction. Tunworth wasn’t created to pretend to be French. It took inspiration from one of the great French cheese traditions and showed just how good a British interpretation could be.
In 2024, Hampshire Cheese Company became part of Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, another family cheesemaking business with its own long history in Lancashire. It marked a new chapter for Tunworth and brought one of Britain’s best-known modern soft cheeses into the Butlers family.
Tunworth – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Tunworth is one of those cheeses that changes enormously as it ripens.
When young, the centre can still be fairly firm, with a fresher, more lactic flavour. Give it time and the paste gradually softens from the rind inwards until it becomes wonderfully creamy and, at full ripeness, gloriously gooey.
The aroma is earthy and mushroomy, sometimes with hints of hay, brassica and the occasional garlicky note. The flavour begins with sweet cream and butter before developing into something much more savoury, with mushrooms, nuts and plenty of umami.
There’s a lovely rustic quality to Tunworth that stops all that creaminess becoming too polite.
If you enjoy Camembert, it’s fascinating to taste the two alongside each other — not to decide which is “better”, but to see what happens when similar cheesemaking ideas are expressed through two very different cheese traditions.
How to Serve and Pair Tunworth
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: Keep it British with an English sparkling wine. The acidity and bubbles are brilliant against that rich, creamy paste.
- Something a little different: A dry cider is another lovely match, particularly when the cheese is fully ripe and its earthier flavours have developed.
- On the plate: Keep it simple with fresh sourdough, apple or pear and perhaps a few toasted nuts. A ripe Tunworth really doesn’t need much help.
- In the kitchen: You can bake a whole Tunworth until molten and use it for dipping, although I think it’s equally lovely simply allowed to ripen properly and attacked with some good bread.
Jen’s note: Tunworth might have been inspired by Camembert, but I don’t think we should think of it simply as Britain’s version of a French cheese. It has earned its own place among the great British cheeses — and that’s far more interesting.
Buying Tunworth
- Brand or Producer: Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses
- Product name: Tunworth
- Milk: Cow
- Country: England
- Region: Lancashire
- Strength: Medium
- Vegetarian: Yes
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- Whole cheese (approx. 250g), £13.50
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, cultures, salt, vegetarian rennet
