A new “vindaloo” cheddar has become a must-have item on some of the grandest cheese-boards in the country.

So far the “extreme” British cheddar — which is made from unpasteurised cheese and matured for two years — has been something of a secret among connoisseurs, and supplies have been limited. Cheesemakers, however, hope to broaden its appeal, even though it comes with a hefty price tag of about £20 a kilo.

Megan Longman, cheese buyer at Fortnum & Mason, said: “It’s extraordinarily strong and will knock your socks off. It is so rare that we don’t stock any 24-month-old cheese, though we have 18-month cheese. That, too, is becoming rare because people are demanding the 24-month vintage and cheesemakers are maturing their younger cheeses.”

Extreme cheddar has a dry, hard texture, almost like parmesan. Arthur Cunynghame, who has been in the cheese industry for 18 years and is author of The Cheesemonger’s Tales, said: “It definitely tastes better and has a very balanced flavour. But it can be very risky for cheesemakers, and if left too long it can go bad. If it has a bite that attacks the throat, that is wrong.”

British vintage cheddar has been in short supply because its production is a commercial risk, as taste can be lost in storage; a cheese tested at three, six and nine months that seems to have the qualities of a special vintage may suddenly deteriorate. But cheesemakers are now keen to attract premium rates; an authentic British vintage is double the price of a su-permarket own-brand vintage.

The vintage cheddar of choice is made by James Mont-gomery at his farm and dairy in North Cadbury, near Yeovil, Somerset. He supplies favour-ite foodie outlets such as Neal’s Yard Dairy and Paxton & Whitfield.

“We don’t try to make a he-man’s cheese that is the most vicious, sharp and violent. What we want to do is to give whatever potential is in the cheese the chance to express itself to its limit,” Mr Mont-gomery, 45, said.

The key to a good vintage was regular testing and to know when a cheese would be at its best, he added. He had never tasted a good vintage cheddar that was older than 25 months.

Other cheesemakers are anxious to catch up with the trend. John Spencer, who owns the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, in the village of Cheddar, Somerset, is hoping to market a Cave Man’s Vintage.

His first batch should be ready by the summer but it could be 15 to 17 months before he discovers if he has a real vintage. “We cut the first cheese yesterday and the taste was already very distinctive. It is a much stronger flavour than usual, a darker rind and deeper colour,” he said.

Hard cheese

* Cheese sales in Britain total £3 billion a year

* Britons eat 650,000 tonnes of cheese every year, of which 450,000 tonnes is cheddar. It takes ten litres (17.60 pints) of milk to make 1kg (2.2lb) of cheddar

* The average Briton eats 30g (1.06oz) of cheese a day References to cheddar date from 1170, when Henry II bought 10,240lbs at a farthing per pound

* Scott took more than 1,500kg of cheddar on his Antarctic expedition in 1901

* Authentic cheddar is made by hand. It is matured in cloth, or bandaged, for at least 12 months to produce a rind and to allow the gradual change in the texture of the cheese to improve flavour

* Cheddaring is the process of stacking and turning the blocks of curd after the whey has been drained to remove moisture, producing a tight texture and unique flavour

Sources: Dairy UK, Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, retailers, Times archives

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor