News

Check your Cheddar

13 August 2010

Whilst the majority of Brits love a slice of Cheddar, many of us aren't aware that this British classic isn't necessarily made in this country (even though we invented it!). Unless your cheese is specifically labelled British, it could be produced anywhere, from Greece to Timbuktu. Further still, just because your cheese is labelled "packaged in the UK", this doesn't mean it originated in Britain either.

Just call us Sherlock...

A mini-investigation led us to find that nearly half of Britain's major supermarkets could be misleading shoppers, by failing to label the origin of their value Cheddar.

We know you love British cheese, and we want to make sure that you have the option to buy British, if you want to, no matter your budget.

That's why we are launching a new drive to ensure that people know what they are buying through increased awareness of cheese origin labelling.

Our friends at Which? Magazine have already found that over three quarters of UK shoppers are keen to know where their dairy products originate (76%) and that over half of you want to buy British dairy (51%).

What should I look for to make sure my Cheddar is British?

You should look out for a label that says that the cheese has been "made in" or "produced in" Britain, or the UK, or at a specific dairy or farm. If a cheese doesn't say where it comes from on the label, then it probably isn't from the UK.

Beware of cheeses that state that they are "packed in Britain", as this does not always mean that they were made here!

What can I do to help?

We'd love you to join us on Facebook to show your support for better labelling of cheese products www.facebook.com/britishcheese.

With the correct labelling, shoppers will be able to check the labels on their Cheddar and buy British, if they wish.