Cheddar is Britain’s most popular cheese, and most of the difference between one block and the next comes down to age. A young cheddar is soft, mild and milky. As it matures, it loses moisture, the flavour becomes stronger and tangier, and the texture turns firmer and more crumbly, sometimes with small crunchy crystals.
There is no legal definition of mild, mature or vintage, so each producer sets its own ages. As a rough guide, mild cheddar is sold after a few months, mature is often aged up to around nine months, extra mature for about a year, and vintage for longer still. The words give you the direction; the strength number or tasting notes on the pack give you the detail.
For most households, a mature cheddar is the safest all-rounder: tasty enough for a sandwich and strong enough to flavour a sauce. Go milder for children and melting into toasties, and stronger for cheese boards and dishes where you want the cheese to stand out.
Maturity at a glance
| Label | Typical age | Taste and texture | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild | A few months | Soft, creamy, gentle | Children, sandwiches, melting |
| Medium | Between mild and mature | Smooth, a little more flavour | Everyday use |
| Mature | Often up to around 9 months | Firmer, fuller flavour | Sandwiches, sauces, jacket potatoes |
| Extra mature | Around a year | Strong, slightly crumbly | Cheese on toast, gratins, cheese boards |
| Vintage | Longer than extra mature | Sharp, crumbly, may have crystals | Cheese boards, eating on its own |
Many supermarkets also print a strength number, often on a scale from 1 to 6 or 7. The scales are set by each retailer, so a 5 at one shop is not necessarily the same as a 5 at another. Use it to compare cheeses within the same brand or shop. The cheddar range includes everything from mild blocks to vintage and farmhouse cheeses.
Block, farmhouse and PDO cheddar
Most supermarket cheddar is made in large creameries in rectangular blocks, sealed in plastic while it matures. This gives a consistent, moist cheese at a good price.
Farmhouse or traditional cheddar is made in smaller quantities, often in cylinders wrapped in cloth. The cloth lets the cheese breathe, so it develops a drier texture and a more complex, earthy flavour.
West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is a protected name (PDO). It can only be made on farms in Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, mainly with milk from local cows, and it must be matured for at least nine months. If you see the PDO logo, you know where and how the cheese was made.
Choosing cheddar for cooking
- Sauces and macaroni cheese: mature or extra mature. A stronger cheese means you need less of it for the same flavour.
- Cheese on toast and toasties: mild to mature melts more smoothly. Very old, dry cheddar can turn oily when grilled.
- Baking (scones, savoury pastry): extra mature gives the most flavour per gram.
- Grating: a firmer, older cheese grates more easily. Chill a soft mild cheddar for 15 minutes before grating.
Grated cheddar in bags is convenient, but it usually contains an anti-caking agent such as potato starch, which can make sauces slightly less smooth. Grating a block yourself is usually cheaper per kilo too, so compare the price per kg on the shop’s page.
Reduced fat, lactose-free and plant-based
Reduced fat cheddars must have at least 30% less fat than standard cheddar. They melt less well and taste milder, so they suit sandwiches more than cooking.
Cheddar is naturally very low in lactose, because most of it drains away with the whey and the rest is broken down as the cheese matures. Many people with lactose intolerance can eat it, and some brands sell cheddar labelled lactose-free in the lactose-free section. See the guide to lactose-free dairy for details.
Plant-based cheddar-style blocks, which sit alongside other vegan and vegetarian products, are usually made from coconut oil and starch. They do not contain milk, but they also contain little protein and melt differently, so treat them as a separate product rather than a direct swap.
Storing cheddar
- Keep cheddar in the fridge, ideally in the salad drawer or a lower shelf where the temperature is steady.
- Once opened, wrap it in wax paper, baking paper or cheese paper and then loosely in a bag or box, so it can breathe without drying out.
- A small spot of mould on a block of hard cheese can usually be cut away with a generous margin of at least 2.5 cm, as US Department of Agriculture food safety guidance advises. Mouldy grated, sliced or soft cheese should be thrown away, and if in doubt, throw it out.
- Take cheddar out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before serving on a board, so the flavour comes through.
- Cheddar can be frozen, ideally grated, for cooking. Frozen cheese becomes crumbly and is best used melted.
For putting together a board, the cheese boards range and the guide to brie, camembert and other soft cheeses are a good place to start.
Quick checklist
- Mature is the best all-rounder.
- Strength numbers are set by each shop, so compare within one shop.
- Mild melts best; extra mature and vintage give the most flavour.
- PDO West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is matured for at least nine months.
- Grate your own for smoother sauces and a lower price per kg.
- Wrap opened cheese in paper, not just cling film.
- Serve at room temperature for the best taste.
Common questions
What is the difference between mature and extra mature cheddar?
Mostly age. Extra mature has been aged longer, so it is firmer and stronger. Because there is no legal definition, the exact ages vary between producers.
What are the crunchy bits in vintage cheddar?
They are small crystals that form naturally as cheese ages, mostly made of calcium lactate or the amino acid tyrosine. They are harmless and are often seen as a sign of a well-aged cheese.
Is white or coloured cheddar different?
Coloured cheddar, sometimes sold as red cheddar, gets its orange colour from annatto, a natural colouring from a plant seed. It does not change the taste in any noticeable way.
