Product reviews: Cheddar cheese

ASHLEY CHASE CHEDDAR (M&S)

€4.39 for 200g, €21.95 per kg

How could anyone resist a cheese called Ashley Chase Cheddar Truckle? Well, they could probably resist it easily if they didn’t have very deep pockets, as this is pricey. The wax coating (or the truckle, to give it its official name) is something of a double-edged sword. It will stop the cheese from drying out and it looks nice and artisanal, but it also acts as a barrier between us and our cheese. The cheese within is wonderful, however. It is very crumbly and has that grainy texture associated with really good cheeses. It is salty but not excessively so, and has a pleasingly sharp edge. This is not the kind of cheese to be wasted on a sandwich.

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Coolattin

Verdict: Pricey but lovely.

Star rating: ***

TESCO MATURE CHEDDAR

€3.40 for 475g, €7.15 per kg

When it comes to price, this own-brand option cannot be beaten. But price is not everything, and unless such a product delivers in taste terms, the economies to be made are false. We are delighted, then, to discover, that the flavour delivers in spades. It is strong and tasty, just as the packaging promises. It is wonderfully sharp and has a lovely creaminess. It might not be the best cheese of the four, but it is certainly the best value for money.

Verdict: Great value.

Star rating: *****

KILMEADEN MATURE CHEDDAR

€2.99 for 200g, €14.95 per kg

In Pricewatch's estimation, this is not quite the fillet of cheddar that the ads would have us believe. We expected to be hit with strong bursts of flavour, but it doesn't really happen. It lacks sharpness, saltiness and tang. We would hesitate to call it very bland, but it is certainly on that scale. It is also more than twice the price of the own-brand product we found in Tesco, which does not do it any favours.

Verdict: Disappointing.

Star rating: **

COOLATTIN CHEDDAR

€6.60 for 200g, €33 per kg

This wonderful Irish cheddar was crowned the high king of Irish cheese at a glitzy awards ceremony in October, and who is Pricewatch to argue with that? It is, by any measure, wonderful. It is gloriously salty and wonderfully crumbly and has a tang that lingers long on the palate and in the memory. In terms of taste, it is by some margin the best of these four cheeses. Price and availability are an issue, however. It is the priciest of the four cheeses and will be hard for many to track down. If you do find it and can afford it, buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Verdict: A wonderful cheese.

Star rating: ****