The Irish have made cheese since Celtic times but, surprisingly, it’s only in the past decade that cheese makers have revived this ancient art, producing some very exciting cheeses. Join Will as he explores the spectacularly rugged south-west coast and tries some of the more unusual varieties, discovering along the way that despite the renaissance, huge challenges lie ahead for cheese makers who want to use raw milk.

Comté Gruyere is one of the most popular cheeses in France, and has been for around 700 years! It is also the most important cheese made under the strict French appellation system. In this episode, Will traces the important link between farmer, cheese maker and affineur (ripener) before visiting the old fort of Saint Antoine, where 60,000 crusty wheels are matured underground. Then it’s off to a small farm to discover how Comté’s close cousin, Morbier, acquired its black stripe.

Until recently, many of Spain’s traditional cheeses were unknown outside their homeland. Will travels to the land of Don Quixote to look at the rich ewe’s milk cheese Manchego before visiting a cheese fair in the medieval city of Trujillo to savour Queso de la Serena, made with ewe’s milk and set with thistles. Then he drives to the magnificent Picos Europa mountains to look at cave-ripened Cabrales and Valdeon.

The inestimable Roquefort, with a history dating back to Roman times, is the most popular blue cheese in France. Up till today, blue cheeses throughout the world still rely on moulds originating in the region’s limestone caves. Will travels to a typical hillside dairy to look at the region’s unique breed of milking ewes before visiting the area’s famous caves, where he is inducted into the Grand Order of Roquefort in a special ceremony.

In its short history, Australia has developed an enviable reputation for its efficient pasture-based dairy system and significant exports of cheddar, butter and skimmed milk. Over the past two decades a small group of passionate cheese makers have introduced a unique range of farmhouse cheeses using cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milk. In this episode, Will travels across the continent to meet five fascinating cheese pioneers.

The United States is a world leader in the production of industrial cheeses. But over the past decade, there has been a significant change in consumer awareness and a growing appreciation for traditional foods with a distinct local identity. Will visits New York’s finest cheese shops before visiting Vermont to meet a new generation of American cheese makers, dedicated to creating an exciting and distinctive range of farmstead cheeses

For two centuries, Stilton has been known as the King of English Cheese, and it has never been copied elsewhere. Nor has it ever been made in Stilton, despite its name! In this episode, Will visits Quenby Hall, where Stilton was invented, and he investigates how it’s made and the origins of its outstanding reputation. Then he’s off to the annual British Cheese Awards to see which cheese maker will be crowned the best producer of English blue cheese.