Why Has English Cheese In The General Shopes Deteriorated In Quality?
Filed in Category English Cheeses
This is since the 1970s. Not just Cheddar, all the English cheeses, have an inferior taste.
Is it me being fussy, or is there a reason?
They may be as strong (usually not) but they seem to have lost texture, taste and may be more salty as well. This has not happened with Danish Blue (different qualities though, Mycella was to be preferred and this is only avaialble at a premium cost).
The fall may also have occurred with French cheeses especially Roquefort.
5 Comments so far
One of the reasons cheese has lost its taste over the past 20 years is ,
Legally now cheese has to be stored in refrigeration i.e. below 4 degrees C. this has 3 main effects on its character
1) its texture becomes much firmer and harder, even brittle in some cases
2) chilling inhibits the taste. Remove it from its packaging and the fridge a good 2 hours before you require to use it. you will feel and taste the difference
3) In the good old days cheese was never chilled, just stored in a cool place, Mould would form on nearly all types, but this would be removed before displaying. this enhanced the strong taste.
Hope this helps.
Yeah!
I understand EXACTLY what you mean!
I certainly don’t think you are being fussy, it’s just a sign of the times isn’t it? Make the product quick. Get it on the shelves quick. Pocket the profit quick.
I now tend to buy my cheeses from delicatessens and food markets if I want good taste.
I only buy supermarket cheeses, i.e. the pre-packed stuff for cooking.
I long for the days when my Mum used to send me to the corner shop for a half a pound of cheddar. It used to get wrapped in greaseproof paper and put in a brown paper bag. As a treat for going, I would get a corner of the cheese and I used to suck it like a boiled sweet and it wouldtaste delicious and last for ages!!
Ah, the good old days!!
Thanks for that trip down Memory Lane!
because these days its not good it’s mass produced plastic crap full of chemicals because brussels says so…
It’s beacause as you get older your tastebuds change..I can eat stong cheese with not problem.BUT when my kids eat it they screw there faces up…same with stilton…smells strong but dont taste strong …oh well ..here comes old age (I hear things droop as well something else to look forward to!!!)
This is absolute rubbish!! The range of British cheeses has expanded out of sight in the last 10 years. Yes, red Leicester and Double Gloucester and the old makes are pretty rubbery, but have a good look at the cheese counter in (say) Morrisons or even Tesco and you’ll see soft cheeses with fruit in, cheddar with chillis, a Welsh one with pickled onions in, white stilton with strawberries. The best cheddar is Pilgrims Choice. Go have a look today…………….