PDO Europe Tour: the United Kingdom
Country by country, region by region, the Cheese and Dairy Products Show takes you on a journey to discover Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs). This week: the United Kingdom.
Created in 1992, the European PDO label is designed to distinguish products that have been ‘processed and prepared in a specific geographical area, using the recognised know-how of local producers and ingredients from the region concerned’. The 1st January 2025, there were more than 153 PDO cheeses, butters or creams across the European continent (including the British and Swiss equivalents). The show invites you to discover them in its news section, while waiting to come and taste them on the exhibitors' stands, from 07 to 09 June 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
This week, we explore the UK's wealth of cheeses, through four of its most iconic PDOs.
Stilton (PDO since 1996)
Produced in the heart of England, in one of the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire, Blue Stilton is a blue cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk and is a staple of Christmas meals across the Channel.
There is also a White version of the cheese (often with blueberries), which also has its own protected designation. Fun fact: you can't make Stilton in... Stilton, as the town is situated outside the three counties mentioned above!
Credit : Victor Bayon
West Country farmhouse Cheddar cheese (PDO since 1996)
If you ask a French person to name an English cheese, it's a good bet that Cheddar tops the list. Not all Cheddar cheeses are created equal and West Country farmhouse Cheddar cheese is the undisputed reference.
Made from the milk of West Country cows, it is matured for up to 12 months, giving it a rich, tangy flavour with a slightly nutty aroma.
Source: Zammeats
Beacon Fell Lancashire (PDO depuis 1996)
This pressed, uncooked cheese, white in colour, smooth in texture and slightly buttery, reaches full maturity after 6 months' maturing.
It also makes the perfect accompaniment to Lancashire hot pots, a particularly rich potato and cheese gratin.
Staffordshire (PDO since 2007)
Produced from cows reared on one of Staffordshire's seven dedicated farms, this cheese has a slightly lumpy texture that can be hard or semi-hard depending on how long it is matured.
Find all these cheeses and other UK PDO cheeses (Dovedale cheese, Buxton blue, Bonchester cheese, Swaledale cheese...) among our British exhibitors: Neal’s Yard dairy, Snowdonia Cheese Company, The Fine Cheese Co. et Wyke Farms Ltd.
Source: The Staffordshire Cheese Company
