The Great British Cheese Index: The UK’s favourite cheeses revealed

• A UK survey has revealed the cheeses we love the most
• Cheddar was found to be the most loved across the nation, with Red Leicester and Mozzarella closely behind.
• Cartwright & Butler share expert advice on flavour pairings for the most loved cheeses

Cheddar is the UK’s most loved cheese, according to new research. Finally settling the debate on which is the nations most loved, the research, from hamper specialists Cartwright & Butler, surveyed the nation to reveal the favourites.

The research asked people to rank their favourite, with the top five being:

1. Cheddar

2. Red Leicester

3. Mozzarella

4. Halloumi

5. Brie

Looking at how our favourites differ from city to city, its’ clear we’re a nation of Cheddar lovers, with the hard cheese found to be the number one in every city. However, there were differences in the top 5 in each city.

Cheddar aside, across the nation this is how the top 5 cheeses looked:

City	Top 5 cheeses
Belfast	Mozzarella (18%), Brie (14%), Cream cheese (14%), Double Gloucester (14%)
Birmingham	Red Leicester (19%), Double Gloucester (16%), Mozzarella (14%), Cream Cheese (14%)
Brighton	Camembert (28%), Mozzarella (23%), Red Leicester (18%), Halloumi (18%)
Bristol	Parmesan (18%), Brie (16%), Double Gloucester (16%), Camembert (13%)
Cardiff	Camembert (19%), Mozzarella (19%), Red Leicester (19%), Stilton (16%)
Edinburgh	Red Leicester (27%), Mozzarella (24%), Edam (20%), Halloumi (15%)
Glasgow	Mozzarella (25%), Edam (21%), Cream Cheese (18%), Red Leicester (14%)
Leeds	Wenslydale (26%), Red Leicester (23%), Cheshire (20%), Halloumi (18%)
Liverpool	Red Leicester (30%), Cheshire (26%), Halloumi (26%), Mozzarella (17%)
London	Red Leicester (21%), Brie (20%), Halloumi (20%), Mozzarella (20%)
Manchester	Cheshire (25%), Mozzarella (20%), Wensleydale (16%), Red Leicester (15%)
Newcastle	Double Gloucester (23%), Mozzarella (20%), Wensleydale (17%), Red Leicester (17%)
Norwich	Red Leicester (31%), Brie (19%), Mozzarella (17%), Parmesan (17%)
Nottingham	Mozzarella (22%), Stilton (22%), Red Leicester (19%), Cheshire (19%)
Plymouth	Brie (21%), Stilton (18%), Red Leicester (18%), Halloumi (18%)
Sheffield	Red Leicester (24%), Double Gloucester (22%), Brie (19%), Camembert (19%)
Southampton	Brie (21%), Stilton (21%), Cream Cheese (18%), Red Leicester (15%)

To make sure Brits are getting the most out of their favourite cheeses throughout the picnic and summer garden party season, food experts at Cartwright & Butler have provided the top flavour pairing options for the nation’s favourites.

Cheddar: Cheddar pairs best with fruits such as apple, pears, grapes, peaches, plums, and cherries.

Red Leicester: Similar to cheddar, red leicester pairs really well with fruit. However, it also goes well with foods such as mustard, onions, mushrooms, and walnuts. 

Mozzarella: Fresh produce is mozzarella’s best friend. Foods such as fresh tomatoes, roasted peppers, or grilled courgette pair well with this lighter cheese.

Halloumi: Some of the best flavours to pair with halloumi are lemon, mint, watermelon, honey and pomegranate.

Brie: Brie ideally needs to be paired with something more acidic to help bring out its flavours. Try apples, grapes, pears, fig jam or honey.

More information on the study can be found here: https://www.cartwrightandbutler.co.uk/blog/uks-cheesiest-cities