Who Cares About Nightmares ? - Quality Cheese To Eat Anytime!!! (Cathedral City Vintage 20 Cheddar)

Member Name: LAURALILIA

Product:	Cathedral City Vintage 20 Cheddar
Date:	24/02/09 (211 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stong mature cheddar with a tangy taste.

Disadvantages: Bit pricey - high in fat.

CATHDRAL CITY VINTAGE 20

~~~What's it like?~~~

I love cheese. Especially mature cheddar cheeses. I enjoy trying different ones and I was shopping recently in Tesco, when they were holding a tasting. This is a new cheese developed in the same family as the other Cathedral City ranges and is manufactured by Dairy Crest. The demonstrator gave me a 50p money off voucher, so I just had to give it a try.

I particularly like this sort of cheese with crackers or cheese on toast. I particularly take great pleasure in having snacks like this for supper occasionally. This is because as a child, I wasn't allowed cheese in the evening - it would give me nightmares, I was told. Now I am a grown up I don't really care about this and can eat it whenever I like!

The new slant on this cheddar is the time it has been matured. It claims to have been matured for 20 months and promises a 'crunchy texture with a well rounded flavour.'

The packaging is black and looks quite classy and comes in a packet that can be resealed.

On opening the cheese is a pale creamy colour and tastes quite strong, but not strong enough to make me wince, like some strong cheeses do. It is best cut into small slices or pieces, as it tends to crumble if you attempt to cut a large slice. It is a too good I think to use for cheese on toast and is best eaten either alone or with crackers to get the best out of it.

I wouldn't really say that it is crunchy at all, as the advertising hype claims, but it does have a fine, flaky texture when you cut into it. Even my children like it, which I find is a good measure for a strong cheese - if they find it too much, then I usually agree it is too strong and bitter. They liked this on crackers and also in a little tub, grated for a snack with cucumber.

~~~Opinion~~~

Overall, I liked this cheese very much and would buy it again. It is quite pricey so I will probably look out for it if it comes on offer in the future. It is great for a cheeseboard or if you want to treat yourself. I often prefer something savoury as opposed to a dessert, so I will be able to justify the extra expense.

I am not expert enough to tell if the 20 months has made a difference - all I know is that it is a quality product that I will be buying again.

~~~Availability~~~

It is available in 200g packs and a 30g serving contains 28% of the recommended adult calcium intake. The same size also contains 125 calories and 10.5g of fat (6.5g saturated), so this should definitely be eaten in moderation. The packet I purchased had a best before date of May 2009, so you can have it in your fridge and it will keep for ages if unopened. I can't remember what I paid for it and it isn't listed on the Tesco online website. It is available from Waitrose though for £2.69 for 200g.

Summary: A good addition to a cheeseboard or for a midnight snack!