British cuisine can be a controversial topic abroad, with many foreigners skeptical of the food coming out of this fish and chip loving nation.
But one part of the UK products that most agree on are cheeses, with Cheddar and Stilton being big favorites in Italy, France and the United States.
And while these have dominated foreign cheese counters abroad, a spicy blue from the UK, Shropshire Blue, is making waves around the world, having been spotted in bars as far away as Brazil.
Shropshire Blue has been seen in stores in Paris, Malaga and Porto, and in a wine bar in São Paulo.
The owner of a British cheese shop in Zurich, Rui Trindade Farinha, told the Telegraph that it is even more popular than Stilton.
While Stilton remains a popular choice, Shropshire Blue has been quickly gaining ground, with cheese lovers going crazy for its rich yolk-colored interior and flaky beige rind.
Its popularity has been marked by a rise in sales, with Waitrose pointing to a 26 per cent increase in 2023.
Dairy producers Fine Cheese Co, which exports British cheeses including Shropshire Blue, have seen the option make up 10 per cent of total blue cheese exports, making it the second most popular after Stilton.
A spicy blue cheese from the UK, Shropshire Blue, is making waves around the world, having been spotted in bars as far away as Brazil (file photo)
Shropshire Blue has caused a sensation both locally and in Australia and Brazil, with the former being the main country to export it, followed by the United States, Spain and France.
Meanwhile, Neal’s Yard Dairy technical director Bronwen Percival said it was the second most exported cheese “by a mile in the country”.
It is also increasingly supplied internationally and is sold by several cheesemongers in Paris, one of the world’s cheese capitals.
Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, a popular cheese shop with five shops across the city, is among those selling blue cheese.
They told the publication: ‘We French cheesemakers often sell both Stilton and Shropshire Blue.
‘In the universe of all the blue cheeses that exist in France and in our range, Shropshire Blue stands out visually. It attracts attention with its color and contrasts with its blue veins.’
British cheese expert Emma Young also told the publication that Americans visiting whole foods stores in the United Kingdom were also attracted to orange cheese.
Despite its name, Shropshire Blue did not originate in Shropshire, but 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 stores in Paris, Malaga and Oporto, and in a wine bar in São Paulo (file 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 its deep orange colour, creamier texture and more intense flavour.
Meanwhile, the broader blue cheese market has been regaining momentum, with Britain’s beloved Stilton experiencing a resurgence in the past year.
Stilton has been climbing the ranks overseas thanks to a popular TikTok trend that has seen social media users infusing it into gin and shaking it into cocktails.
According the shopkeeperThe trend, which became popular late last year, has led to a six percent increase in sales, with younger people especially seeking out the British classic.
The trend has given Stilton, dubbed “the king of British cheeses”, a new life, after a big drop in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last summer, falling sales even caused dairy company Arla to close its Melton Mowbray stilton dairy due to the “continuing decline” in the UK specialty cheese market.
Since the spring, cheesemaker Long Clawson Dairy cited Kantar data showing notable uptake of the spicy classic.
While Stilton remains a popular choice, Shropshire Blue has been rapidly gaining ground, with cheese lovers going crazy for its rich yolk-colored interior and flaky beige rind (file photo).
In addition to cocktails, young people have been sandwiching spicy blue cheeses on burgers, topping salads and spreading crackers.
It comes after it was revealed who in the country consumes the most cheese, with locals in Newcastle taking the top spot.
Geordies eat more cheese than residents of any other part of the UK, with almost half eating more than 11 kilograms (almost two stone) each year, according to a study.
A survey of 2,000 Britons found that 47 per cent of people in the North East, where the list of famous names includes Ant & Dec, Cheryl, Alan Shearer, Robson Green and Jimmy Nail, eat more than the UK average of just under 1 kg. per month.
Across the UK, 43 per cent of us weigh 11.5kg a year (almost two stone) and cheddar, brie, stilton and wensleydale are among the favourites.
According to the study by snack brand Cheez-It, other areas with a high proportion of people exceeding the average intake are Wales (46 percent) and the east of England (also 46 percent).
But the lowest rates were recorded in the East Midlands (38 per cent) and the South West (37 per cent).