Have Yourself A Very Godminster Christmas

The cheese came to life after Godminster owner Richard Hollingbery bought Godminster Farm and had the waxed cheese made using milk from the farm as a thank-you gift for friends. The cheeses were a great success, so much so that Richard decided to that he should begin making the cheese commercially and as a result the Godminster brand was born.

These days no cheese board is complete without a Godminster cheddar, its rich wax coating making it especially popular at Christmas.

The cheese, which is available in 2kg, 1kg and 400gm rounds as well as a 400gm heart, is delivered beautifully packaged in distinctive Godminster colours, making it an ideal gift for a foodie friend.

Godminster also produces an oak-smoked Godminster cheddar. "We use the same mature cheddar as in our waxed truckles and cold smoke it over oak chippings sourced from sustainable woodland", said Richard Hollingbery, Godminster's owner. These are then hand-wrapped in muslin, making the perfect addition to the Godminster range.

Richard adds: "Our cheeses have been a great success' so much so that over the years we have developed a number of foodie gifts, which always include the cheese, of course! My personal favourite as a traditional Yorkshireman is the cheese and fruit cake combination. When you eat the cheese we find there is no need to remove the wax before cutting. In fact, we find our cheese keeps its creamy consistency best if you keep it in the wax.

"The cheese can be scooped or sliced. Either score around the top and use it as a lid, scooping the cheese out, or cut through the wax like you would a cake. If there's any left replace the lid, wrap the whole cheese in cling film and refrigerate."

The organic cheddar starts at £14.95 and is available from www.godminster.com