Are the Cotswolds famous for cheese?
Let’s just say that the cheese you'll find here is so good, dozens of people risk their health chasing a wheel of the stuff down a hill at full spring.
Cotswold cheese might not be the first reason you visit the Cotswolds, but it’ll give you a wheel of reasons to stay and sample.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Joff Lee
Your guide to Cotswold Cheese
Because picking the right cheese is paramount, especially when you’re lugging a whole wheel of it across the Atlantic.
What food are the Cotswolds famous for?
Since the Cotswolds is a region, not a single city or town, you won’t find a single food or beverage representative of the dining scene. Gloucester, for instance, is famous for its cheeses but also farms a coveted pedigree-bred pig. Bibury catches and cooks a solid trout while Tewkesbury makes a mean mustard.
What English town is famous for cheese?
We bet you can’t guess what the village of Cheddar is famous for. Yes, it’s here in this Somerset town (not in the Cotswolds but only around 25 mi southwest of Bath) that Cheddar cheese originated in the 12th century. But just because Cheddar got a little frisky with their fromage fiddling, doesn’t mean that other areas of England are lacking in the dairy department.
What cheese is made in the Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds have a few different variations of Gloucester cheese. There are both Single and Double Gloucester cheeses made in Gloucester, which is on the western edge of the Cotswolds. Cotswold cheese is Double Gloucester with chives and minced onion added in.
Is Double Gloucester like Cheddar?
Cheddar and Double Gloucester are both made with whole milk. Double Gloucester gets firm like a mild cheddar and both get a little tangy when you age them. Double Gloucester has a redder hue than cheddar and isn’t as sharp. If anything, the color and sharpness of a Single Gloucester is closer to cheddar than Double Gloucester.
Image Credit and Location: Cotswold Cheese Company, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England, UK
Where is the Cotswold Cheese Company?
The Cotswold Cheese Company has three locations in the Cotswolds: Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Moreton-in-Marsh. We’d recommend aiming for the Moreton-in-Marsh location, as you can walk to the cheese shop from the train station in seven minutes. Take the train directly from London Paddington station and you’ll reach Moreton-in-Marsh in 90 minutes.
Do people really chase a wheel of cheese down a hill in Gloucester?
Oh, you better believe they do. The annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, also known as the Cheese Roll, involves groups of people running down a hill to catch a rolling wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. The hill is about 200 yards long and the cheese can hit 70mph. It’s a tradition going back generations, and though some years see some brutal injuries, it’s typically a fun, funky event. Gloucester is the closest train station if you’re keen to see it live.
Image Credit and Location: Cotswold Cheese Company, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, England, UK
The best places to try cheese in the Cotswolds
Fill your suitcase with as much Cotswold cheese as you can carry from these local fromageries.
Cotswold Cheese Company
Nearest station: Moreton-in-Marsh
For nearly 20 years, Cotswold Cheese Company has championed British cheeses, particularly local Cotswold cheeses. They carry cheese from nearby regions, like Cheshire, as well as other renowned wheels from France and Spain. The Stow Blue is one that must make it home with you.
Godsells Artisan Cheeses
Nearest station: Stonehouse
In the village of Leonard Stanley, a couple makes their own cheese, even pasteurizing it from their own cows. The fruit—or fromage —of their labor yielded multiple awards. The Double Gloucester, Single Gloucester, and Leonard Stanley are must-tries, but we think the Single Gloucester variety with chives (the Village Gossip) should also find a place in your pantry.
Your ticket to the best of Cotswold cheese
Man cannot live on cheese alone—but you can sure try. Make a note to visit some of the restaurants and pubs around the Cotswolds that showcase the local cuisine and we’d bet that a majority of them offer at least a small plate of local cheese. Download the Trainline app and let us hook you up with an affordable day trip from London to an epicenter of Cotswold cheese cellars.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Matomatic