{"id":4328,"date":"2025-04-03T03:03:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T03:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/what-cheese-does-royalty-eat\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T03:03:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T03:03:49","slug":"what-cheese-does-royalty-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/what-cheese-does-royalty-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"What Cheese Does Royalty Eat?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Royal Warrant of Appointment<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since the 15th century, British monarchs have bestowed the honor of a royal seal \u2014 formally known as the Royal Warrant of Appointment<\/a> \u2014 to businesses of every kind who are vetted to provide their goods and services to the royal household. Food and beverage brands account for just about 15 percent of the current Royal Warrant holders. If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in Great Britain and have taken notice of the abundance of excellent dairy, it should come as no surprise that cheese is well represented within the category.<\/p>\n

There are certain cheeses and cheesemongers, therefore, that are quite literally fit for a king. The good news for those of us that are not ordained to rule, however, is that these cheeses and shops are fully accessible to us commoners, in some cases even outside of the UK. Here\u2019s a look at the Royal Warrant program, plus four cheeses and two cheesemongers to consider when you\u2019re in the mood to give yourself the royal cheese treatment.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How Does the Royal Warrant of Appointment Work?<\/h2>\n

The Sovereign, spouse, and Heir Apparent (and sometimes their spouse) may all bestow the privilege of a Royal Warrant. For those of you not keeping up with the Windsors, or even \u201cThe Crown,\u201d that means that King Charles III and Queen Camilla may issue Royal Warrants, and have already done so twice in 2024: generating an initial list of Royal Warrant holders in May, and adding to the list in December. As Heir Apparent, Prince William is expected to add to the list of Royal Warrant holders this year, and Princess Catherine is expected to be given the privilege as well. (Waiting with bated breath to see which cheeses the millennial contingent of the Royal Family set their sights on. Does blue blood equal blue cheese? We hope so!)<\/p>\n

Royal Warrants are good for five years and are not guaranteed to be renewed, though many Royal Warrant holders have kept the honor for decades or more. One of London\u2019s oldest cheesemongers, Paxton & Whitfield<\/a>, founded in 1797, has held the honor as early as 1850. (Queen Victoria was so profuse in issuing warrants that a Royal Warrant Holders Association<\/a> was born.) Any brands or merchants holding a Royal Warrant at the time of the Sovereign\u2019s death may keep the honor for two years, otherwise the new Sovereign must re-issue a warrant. Royal Warrant holders are permitted to advertise the honor with an official coat of arms on the packaging.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, meet the current royally approved cheeses<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cheeses that Currently Hold the Royal Warrant of Appointment<\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Charles Martell and Sons<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Charles Martell with Stinking Bishop photo courtesy of Charles Martell<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While England is primarily known for its stalwart Cheddars and blues, which are of course represented by Royal Warrant holders, it\u2019s exciting to consider that among King Charles\u2019s first Royal Warrants to be issued was to Charles Martell and Sons, a Glouscester-based cheesemaker whose most famous cheese is Stinking Bishop<\/a>. Lest you think there\u2019s no sense of humor about Buckingham Palace, the brand also has a cheese called Slack-ma-Girdle<\/a>. (It\u2019s named after a species of apple, but still, it has an air of loosening one\u2019s undergarments about it.)<\/p>\n

Founded in 1972 at Hunts Court Farm, Charles Martell is credited with reviving the making of Single Gloucester cheese \u2014 a younger and semi-skimmed version of the more well known Double Gloucester<\/a> \u2014 and breeding previously endangered Old Gloucester cows. He lobbied for a PDO for Single Gloucester in 1997, which now may be made by six local cheesemakers breeding Old Gloucester cattle.<\/p>\n

Stinking Bishop, now the brand\u2019s most popular cheese, was developed in 1994. It\u2019s a (you guessed it) washed and bloomy rind stinker, utilizing a perry (pear cider) from the same farm in the brine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Caws Cenarth Cheese<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Caws Cenarth cheeses<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wales<\/a> is a magical place where even some sausages are made of cheese, so it\u2019s no wonder that a Welsh cheesemaker was also issued a Royal Warrant right out of the current administration’s gate. With a history that dates back to the early 1900s, Caws Cenarth in Western Wales is the longest established producer of Welsh Farmhouse Caerffili,<\/a> (Caerphilly) a bright and crumbly, aged cow\u2019s milk cheese whose rind is dusted with rice flour.<\/p>\n

While the brand has history, its current iteration begins in the 1980s, when a later generation of a dairy farming family decided to revive the cheesemaking practice of their ancestors. Previously holding a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II, Caws Cenarth makes a wide variety of both cow and sheep\u2019s milk cheese, including Perl Wen<\/a>, (meaning \u201cwhite pearl\u201d) Perl Las<\/a>, (\u201cblue pearl\u201d) and variations of Cheddar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Previous Royally Appointed Cheeses<\/h2>\n

The above cheeses are King Charles\u2019s current picks, but as the list gets added to in the coming years, it\u2019s worth noting other cheeses that have recently held the distinction from Queen Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cathedral City Cheddar<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Cathedral City Cheddar<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The only brand of Cheddar to have held the Royal Warrant, Cathedral City<\/a> is named for the cathedral in Wells, Somerset, where the cheese was first made over 50 years ago. Now located in Cornwall, Cathedral City\u2019s varieties of Cheddar are produced from cow\u2019s milk sourced from Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.<\/p>\n

Good news for American Anglophiles: Cathedral City, which is also the best-selling Cheddar in the U.K., is not only available in the U.S., but is a grocery store cheese. Unlike domestic Cheddar blocks, which traditionally come in vacuum sealed blocks, Cathedral City Cheddar is packaged in a loosely fitting bag known as a \u201cpillow package,\u201d better allowing it to breathe, even while awaiting you on the shelves of your local supermarket. As someone who has a package sitting in her fridge currently, I can say with confidence that this is the most artisanal that industrial Cheddar can hope to be: crumbly, savory, and speckled with calcium lactate crystals.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Camembert de Normandie<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Camembert de Normandie photo credit Coyau _ Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is a list of foods that the Royals generally avoid either due to social politeness (garlic, for example) or safety concerns (shellfish). Young, raw milk cheeses have no such stigma, however. A purported favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, Camembert de Normandie has also held the distinction of having its own Royal Warrant of Appointment.<\/p>\n

While Camembert isn\u2019t a protected name unto itself, Camembert de Normandie has PDO status, requiring exactitude when it comes to the sourcing of the raw milk and the process by which it is made, resulting in a cheese that is texturally delicate, but is earthy, funky, and complex on the palate. \u201cChallenging in the most delicious way,\u201d says cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re puzzling over a French cheese holding a Royal Warrant from the British Monarchy, the privilege is not limited to only British companies. Even American brands can get a royal nod, though American cheeses have yet to break that barrier. Brands such as Heinz, Kellogg\u2019s, and Tabasco are all currently Royal Warrant holders, though.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Royally Approved Cheesemongers<\/h2>\n

Just because a cheese isn\u2019t called out by name with a Royal Warrant doesn\u2019t mean it may never pass the monarch\u2019s lips. The brands and cheeses above have been given license to supply directly to the royal household, but many other food businesses such as grocers, caterers, and cheesemongers also have Royal Warrants, meaning that whatever goods they purvey are also fair game for the royal table.<\/p>\n

Paxton and Whitfield<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Paxton and Whitfield Cheddar Pounder<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re visiting London and want to walk a noble path for a moment, Winston Churchill once remarked, \u201ca gentleman buys his hats at Locks, his shoes at Lobbs, his shirts at Harvie and Hudson, his suits at Huntsman, and his cheese at Paxton & Whitfield.\u201d<\/p>\n

Located just a 10-minute walk from Buckingham Palace in Jermyn Street, Queen Victoria first bestowed the Royal Warrant of Appointment to Paxton & Whitfield in 1850. The business was founded in 1797, with further history dating back to 1742 by Stephen Cullum, who set up a cheese stall in Aldwych Market. His son took on business partners in the decades to come, whose names now grace the awning.<\/p>\n

Featuring over 100 cheeses, more than half of which come from Great Britain and Ireland, the original Jermyn Street location is an education unto itself, and a stunner, with hard cheeses stacked in geometric towers.<\/p>\n

One of my favorites from the shop: don\u2019t miss the Cheddar Pounder<\/a>, a 1-lb mini wheel of clothbound cheddar.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Valvona and Crolla Ltd<\/a>.<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Valvona and Crolla<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Devotees of \u201cThe Crown\u201d will know that Balmoral Castle, located in Scotland, is the preferred getaway residence for the Royal Family, so naturally cheese needs must be met in the highlands as well.<\/p>\n

Established in 1934, Edinburgh\u2019s Valvona and Crolla is a broader supplier of specialty foods, but their Royal Warrant of Appointment specifically designates them as a purveyor of fine cheese. Their inventory features over 50 cheeses from Britain and Europe, emphasizing Scottish cheeses, including Connage Highland Dairy\u2019s Highland Heart<\/a>, Isle of Mull Traditional Farmhouse Cheese<\/a>, and Errington Cheese\u2019s Lanark Blue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Royal Warrant of Appointment Since the 15th century, British monarchs have bestowed the honor of a royal seal \u2014 formally known as the Royal Warrant of Appointment \u2014 to businesses of every kind who are vetted to provide their goods and services to the royal household. Food and beverage brands account for just about 15 … Okumaya devam et “What Cheese Does Royalty Eat?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}