British cuisine can be a controversial topic abroad, with many foreigners sceptical of food coming out of the fish and chippy-loving nation.
But one part of UK produce most can agree on is cheeses, with Cheddar and Stilton huge favourites in Italy, France and the US.
And while these have dominated foreign fromage counters abroad, one tangy blue from the UK, Shropshire Blue, is making waves globally, having been spotted in bars as far away as Brazil.
Shropshire Blue has been seen in shops in Paris, Malaga and Porto – and has been spotted at a wine bar in São Paulo.
The owner of one British Cheese Deli in Zurich, Rui Trindade Farinha told the Telegraph that it is even more popular than Stilton.
While Stilton is still a popular choice, the Shropshire Blue has quickly been gaining traction, with cheese lovers going wild for it’s rich yolk coloured interior and flaky beige crust.
It’s popularity has been marked by a surge in sales, with Waitrose noting a 26 per cent rise in 2023.
Dairy makers, Fine Cheese Co, which export British cheeses, including the Shropshire Blue, have noted how the option makes up 10 per cent of total blue cheese exports, making it the second most popular after Stilton.
One tangy blue cheese from the UK, Shropshire Blue, is making waves globally, having been spotted in bars as far away as Brazil (stock photo)
Shropshire Blue has made waves both locally and further out in Australia and Brazil, with the former being the top country to export it, with the US, Spain and France not far behind.
Meanwhile, the technical director at Neal’s Yard Dairy, Bronwen Percival, said it was it was the second most exported cheese ‘by a country mile’.
It is also increasingly being stocked internationally with a number of cheesemongers selling it in Paris, one of the cheese capitals of the world.
Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, a popular fromage outlet with five stores across the city, are among those shelving the blue cheese.
They told the publication: ‘We French cheesemongers often sell both Stilton and Shropshire Blue.
‘In the universe of all the blue cheeses which exist in France and in our range, Shropshire Blue stands out visually. It attracts the eye with its colour and contrasts with its blue veins.’
British cheese expert Emma Young also told the publication that Americans visiting UK based whole foods stores were also being drawn to the orange cheese.
Despite its name, the Shropshire Blue did not originate in Shropshire, but instead was invented in the 1970s at the Castle Stuart dairy in Inverness, Scotland, by Andy Williamson – who had been trained in blue cheese making in Nottinghamshire.
According to The Telegraph, Shropshire Blue has been seen in shops in Paris, Malaga and Porto – and has been spotted at a wine bar in São Paulo (stock photo)
Originally called ‘Inverness-shire Blue’ or ‘Blue Stuart’, the popular veiny cheese was reinvented as Shropshire Blue to increase its popularity – despite lacking any real link to its name.
Shropshire Blue is made from cow’s milk and can be differentiated from its popular predecessor, Stilton, by it’s sharp orange colouring, creamier texture and sharper taste.
Meanwhile, the market for blue cheese in general has been regaining momentum, with British loved Stilton having seen a resurgence in the last year.
Stilton has been climbing the ranks abroad thanks to a popular TikTok trend that has had social media users infusing it into gin and shaking it into cocktails.
According to The Grocer, the trend, which became popular towards the end of last year, has resulted in a six per cent surge in sales, with younger people in particular seeking out the British classic.
The trend has given Stilton – dubbed ‘the king of British cheeses’ – a new lease of life, following a huge dip in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last summer, the downturn in sales even resulted in the dairy company Arla closing their Melton Mowbray stilton creamery because of ‘continuing decline’ in the UK specialty cheese market.
Since the spring, cheesemaker Long Clawson Dairy, cited Kantar data which showed a remarkable uptake in the tangy classic.
While Stilton is still a popular choice, the Shropshire Blue has quickly been gaining traction, with cheese lovers going wild for it’s rich yolk coloured interior and flaky beige crust (stock photo)
As well as cocktails, young people have been sandwiching tangy blue cheeses into burgers, topping onto salads and smearing onto crackers.
It comes after it was revealed who in the country consumes the most cheese, with Newcastle locals taking first place.
Geordies eat more cheese than residents of any other part of the UK, with almost half eating more than 11 kilograms (nearly two stones) every year, a study has found.
A poll of 2,000 Britons found that 47 per cent of folk from the North East – where the roll call of famous names includes Ant & Dec, Cheryl, Alan Shearer, Robson Green and Jimmy Nail – eat more than the UK average of just under 1kg per month.
Over the UK as a whole, 43 per cent of us get through 11.5kg-a-year – almost two stones – with cheddar, brie, stilton and Wensleydale among the favourites.
According to the study by snack brand, Cheez-It, other areas with a high proportion of people exceeding the average intake include Wales (46 per cent) and the East of England (also 46 per cent).
But rates were lowest in the East Midlands (38 per cent) and the South West (37 per cent).
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