Think of cheese and it’s typically the French or Swiss that come to mind. Not the Brits. Or is it? Thanks to a growing group of talented, enthusiastic, and young artisanal cheesemakers in the UK, it seems Britain is claiming the throne. Of cheese, that is.

One place showcasing England’s new energy of cheesemaking is Neal’s Yard Dairy, based in London. Here, the fine work of over 70 organic artisanal cheesemakers is carefully selected from farms throughout Britain and Ireland. At their old-school, classic English-style boutique shops, chunks of tasty cheeses are perched high, piled up on one other, while wheels are sorted in shelves, forming a sort of mouldy rind wallpaper.

There’s tangy, buttery Stilton, next to salty, meaty washed rind sheep’s milk cheeses, opposite moist, farmy cheddar. The fragrance tickles your nose when you enter the shop and all your senses are tugged; the texture, the color, the way it bites as you savor it on your tongue. Unctuous, rich cheeses all diligently selected and perfectly ripened.

So next time you’re in London, check out Neal’s Yard Dairy and remember that it is here where cheese reigns king – or queen, as it were.

[First photo via HauntedMansion on Flickr. Second photo courtesy of Croque-Camille.]