Along with their conquering armies, the Romans brought their cheese making expertise to England in the first century AD. But it was not until the sixteenth century when the cheese we know today as cheddar was so named. With such a long history, it's no surprise that cheddar is one of the world's favorite foods. So popular in fact, that almost every cheese-producing nation makes its own version. This assortment contains excellent examples from three continents:

• Denhay Mature English Cheddar: Denhay Cheddar is carefully matured and monitored until it is 11 months old when it is sold as premium West Country Farmhouse Cheddar. (8 oz.)
• Grafton Classic Reserve Cheddar: Grafton Classic Cheddar is an outstanding mature cheddar cheese selected for its pronounced flavor and smooth finish. This two year aged cheese is excellent when accompanied with dried fruits and nuts, crusty breads, and big wines. (8 oz.)<li><b>Great Ocean Road Cheddar: This sharp white cheddar hails from Australia, where it is made from pure milk taken from cows that graze on lush pastures swept by winds from the Southern Ocean. (8 oz.)
• Red Leaf Cheddar: This entrant from North America has a firm texture and a sweet, honeyed flavor. Best enjoyed with ale and fruit, this cheddar is aged for over 12 months. (8 oz.)

Please note that any item temporarily out of stock will be substituted with a similar item of equal value.

England is a land well suited to dairy farming. Its territory is relatively flat, thus good for grazing, and it has plenty of rainfall. This country produces over 500 distinct types of cheese, including the four we are featuring in this English Cheese Assortment.<ul><li><b>Denhay Mature Cheddar - Arguably the world's most famous cheese name, Cheddar is an authentic English cheese that has been copied all over the world. If you have never tasted authentic English Farmhouse Cheddar, you are in for a wonderful surprise. (8 oz.)

Royal Blue Stilton - How could such an assortment not include England's beloved blue cheese? Creamy, tangy and eminently satisfying, our Royal Blue Stilton is perfect as a snacking cheese or as an ingredient. (8 oz.)<li><b>Sage Derby - Don't be afraid of the green! Pulverized sage leaves are mixed with water then added to the curd of Derby cheese to create this striking example of English cheesemaking ingenuity. Mild and herbaceous, Sage Derby is the ultimate party cheese. (8 oz.)<li><b>Cotswold - Also known as "Pub Cheese," Cotswold is the name given to this hearty cheese that combines Double Gloucester with flavorful bits of chive and onion. A harmonious blend of mellow, crumbly cheese and powerful vegetables, Cotswold is a terrific complement to the softer, more mild flavors on your cheese board. (8 0z.)Assortment includes four 1/2 pound cuts of cheese.<ul><b><li>Please note that any item temporarily out of stock will be substituted with a similar item of equal value.

<B>This item is not packaged as a gift. If you would like the gift packaged version of this item please click here.

In the proud tradition of St. Patrick's Day, we are thrilled to present four of our favorite Irish cheeses in this carefully selected assortment. For decades, Irish cheeses were a secret; enjoyed only by our friends "across the pond". Now, we are lucky enough to carry these four cheeses.

• Cashel Blue: This wonderful farmhouse blue cheese hails from Tipperary. Using only fresh cows milk from their fresian herd, Louis and Jane Grubb have produced this masterpiece. Ideal for melting or after dinner with some port. (8 oz.)
• Dubliner tastes of a mature Cheddar, with the sweet aftertaste of Reggiano. Created by the Irish company Kerrygold and named after Ireland's capital city, this cheese shares traits with several well-known cheeses, but the combination creates a flavor that is completely unique. (8 oz.)<li><b>Cahill Farm Cheddar with Porter Ale is a visually intriguing cheese. Mixed with dark porter ale during the cheesemaking process, this cheese has a marbled effect with dark brown veins. Imported from Ireland, it has a surprising meaty flavor and is obviously a perfect match for ale. (8 oz.)<li>Our <b>Shamrock Cheddar is aged for over 12 months and has a creamy, taut texture and sweet, grassy flavor. The milk for this "bitey" cheddar is taken from cows grazing the green grass of southeast Ireland, an area traditionally known as "The Garden of Ireland". This environment produces rich, creamy milk that is perfect for cheese making.

• Please note that any item temporarily out of stock will be substituted with a similar item of equal value.

This item is not packaged as a gift. If you would like the gift packaged version of this item please click here.

The first truly new and unique fruit to be discovered since the kiwi in the 1970's, Peppadew is not only rich in flavor but also has great nutritional benefits. Whole sweet piquante peppers from South Africa's northern provinces are blended with a secret recipe that makes every juicy mouthful simply unforgettable. Quite unlike anything we've ever eaten, this unusually tasty treat is delicious served with almost anything. We especially love it with a simple goat cheese salad. Available in mild and hot for those who like their peppers with a little more heat.

Varieties sold separately.

World- Famous Tillamook ® Cheddar Cheese, Medium in popular 2 lb. Baby Loaf ® made in Tillamook, Oregon.

Royal George cheese is named after the founder of the cheesemakers' English dairy. It was in 1957 that George Kenyon started to make his traditional English cheeses in the ancient market town of Garstang, where the ruins of the royalist Greenhalgh Castle (c1490) stand.

The sons of George, Neil and John, have since been producing Kosher cheese for the UK market and are now the leading UK Kosher cheese producers under the Chevington label. Royal George cheeses are the first ever English cheeses to be certified Kosher by the O.U. and the varieties available are Cheddar, Red Leicester and Double Gloucester.

The cheese is Cholov Yisroael and is suitable for Passover. It is made to the very highest of standards to be delicious and flavorsome and was available at Kosherfest 2004 for us to sample for the first time. The launch of Royal George label at Kosherfest is the event of the year for this English Cheesemaker.

Red Leicester is a mellow cheese with a hard, granular texture. It gets its bright red color from the addition of annatto, which is ground achiote seed from the annatto tree. Red Leicester is a rather young cheese, as it is only aged for 10 to 12 weeks. As it ripens, it develops a distinct nuttiness and faint lemony finish that separates it from all other English cheeses.<ul><li><b>Kosher for Passover by the O.U.

Made from pasteurized cow's milk.

Photo depicts whole 7 oz. form of cheese.

It took us a while to find a signature cheddar that could live up to igourmet's standards, but while visiting the English countryside, we discovered a worthy candidate. This aptly named drum-shaped delight from Dorset sets a new standard for cheddar excellence. Perfectly aged, hand-dipped in a black wax and packaged in a decorative box, Dorset Drum makes an excellent gift. Exceptionally sweet and tangy, it tastes nothing like any mass-produced cheddar you have ever sampled. This quality product does come with a price, however. It is one of the most expensive cheddars for sale in America.

• Voted 2005 President of Cheeses by our customers.<li>Made from pasteurized cow's milk.
• Photo depicts whole 14 oz. form of cheese.

Raw Goat Milk Mild Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese by Mt. Sterling Cheese Coop is a mild natural cheddar style goat's milk cheese made from raw, not pasteurized milk, and then aged a minimum of 60 days. This Wisconsin cheese is Mt. Sterling's most popular product and has won the Gold Medal at the American Dairy Goat Products Association contest, won awards at the Wisconsin State Fair, and received international awards at the biennial World Championship Cheese Contest held in March 2000, where Mt. Sterling was the top-ranked goat cheese from America and ousted respected cheese makers from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Four 8 oz. packages. Ships Mondays only.

Tillamook ® Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar is aged over 15 months to give it the most robust, most complex flavor of the yellow cheddars.

The Sampler Cheddar Cheese Sampler Gift Box by Babcock Hall Dairy Store contains a great variety of cheddar cheeses. Each cheddar cheese sampler gift box includes 4 different flavors of cheddar each one pound: medium cheddar, jalapeno cheddar, smoked aged cheddar, and sharp aged cheddar. Available October-March, which makes a unique gift idea for any occasion!