Ilchester Cheese Company celebrates 60 years with launch of new cheese

Ilchester, the UK’s number one blended and snacking cheese supplier, is celebrating 60 years since it created its first-ever cheese with the launch of a brand new one – the Ilchester Truffle Cheddar.

Back in 1962, Ken Seaton, the landlord of The Ilchester Arms in Somerset, launched the Ilchester Cheese Company after being inspired by customers at his pub, who would often dip cheddar into the pub’s fine English ales for a fuller, moist and richer flavour.

A buyer from Harrods visited the pub and loved the beer and cheese combination and couldn’t wait to get it in store. And that is how beer cheese was born.

The arrival of beer cheese was not without some controversial beginnings when beer cheese caused outrage with 10 million teetotallers boycotting it – even though they needed to eat 20lbs to consume the equivalent of one pint of beer.

With more cheeses to create on the back of the success of the beer cheese, Ken was inspired to launch the Ilchester Cheese Company and beer cheese became the first of thousands of cheeses made in the West Country to come from the Ilchester portfolio.

Ilchester has also famously teamed up with the nation’s much-loved spread, Marmite to create a match made in heaven – Marmite Cheddar bites and more recently, the Marmite Cheddar wedge. The cheese and Marmite sandwich is one of the UK’s favourite snacks so Ilchester thought why not go the extra mile and bring the two ingredients together to create the delicious Ilchester Marmite Cheddar.

Marmite is another brand celebrating an anniversary as it’s 100 years since it launched. Marmite was created in 1902 by the same man who created Oxo. Both brands appeared as a by-product of the yeast produced in the brewing process.

The launch of the Ilchester Truffle Cheddar ­to mark 60 years of cheese from Ilchester is symbolic of how cheese has developed over the last six decades and how Ilchester seeks inspiration from innovative ingredients from all over the world to create and develop new flavours that complement the full flavoured buttery taste of British Cheddar.

To create this 60th-anniversary cheddar, the smooth flavours of the British cheddar are blended with black summer truffle, infused with white truffle oil. The salsa truffina, olive oil and aromatic seasoning in the oil base with white truffle flavouring ingredients in the cheddar are solely sourced from Italy, while the black summer truffles are from both Italy and Bulgaria.

Lisa Harrison, Marketing Manager for Ilchester, said: “Ilchester Cheese Company has come a long way since its early beginnings back at The Ilchester Arms in 1962 to its very popular snacking cheeses, the plant-based Melting Mature and now the Ilchester Truffle Cheddar.

“We love the story behind the Beer Cheese, particularly how it made quite an impact when it launched with 10 million teetotallers boycotting it!

“Launching a new cheese that reflects how Brits have broadened their horizons when it comes to cheese, which is now inspired by ingredients from different regions of the world felt like the best way to celebrate 60 years of Ilchester, and truffles are a real indication of foodie sophistication.

“Over 60 years, Ilchester has launched thousands of cheeses, into more than 20 countries worldwide. Today, our seasonal cheddars, snacking nets, Marmite Cheddar and our vegan Melting Mature have proved to be very popular with our cheese-loving nation. Here’s to the next 60 years of Ilchester and lots of new product development to come.”

The Ilchester Truffle Cheddar will be available to buy at 419 Tesco stores across the UK from 24 October and will cost £2.20