History

Vermont cheddar dates to 18th-century English settlers in the Green Mountains. Cabot Creamery formed as a farmer-owned co-op in Cabot, Vermont in 1919 and built the export reputation; Shelburne Farms began producing farmstead cheddar at the 1899 Webb-Vanderbilt estate in 1980; Jasper Hill in Greensboro now cellars cheese for cheesemakers across the state. Clothbound, raw-milk and aged styles range from Bayley Hazen Blue to Cabot Clothbound to Shelburne Farms' two-year aged.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 100g Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (the cellar-aged Jasper Hill wheel)
  • 100g Shelburne Farms 2-year aged farmstead cheddar
  • 80g Vermont Creamery aged goat cheese or Bayley Hazen Blue (for contrast)
  • 100g Mt. Mansfield Creamery raw-milk cheddar (or another small-batch farm cheddar)
  • 1 fresh sourdough country loaf or seedy crisp crackers
  • 1 large green apple, very thinly sliced
  • 1 small pear, very thinly sliced
  • 50g toasted walnuts
  • 50g Vermont honeycomb or amber honey
  • 30g Vermont dark amber maple syrup, for drizzling
  • 1 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 30g cornichons or pickled ramps
  • 1 small bunch fresh thyme (optional, for plating)

Method

  1. Pull the cheeses from the fridge 1 hour before serving; cheddar must be at room temperature for full flavour development.
  2. Cut the Cabot Clothbound into rough triangular wedges (the natural Jasper Hill rind goes outward).
  3. Cut the Shelburne Farms 2-year into 1cm slabs; arrange like a fan.
  4. Cut the goat cheese into rounds (or scoop the Bayley Hazen Blue with a small spoon, leaving the rind exposed).
  5. Cube the raw-milk farm cheddar into 2cm dice.
  6. Lay the cheeses on a wooden board in four quadrants, sharpest to mildest in a rough circle.
  7. Tuck sliced apple, sliced pear, walnuts and cornichons between the cheeses; trail honey over the mildest cheese and maple syrup over the cheddars.
  8. Set a small dish of grainy mustard at the centre. Serve with the sourdough bread cut into thick slabs, and a glass of Vermont cider or Hill Farmstead Edward Pale Ale.

Tip from the editors. Vermont cheddars are the structural anchor; let them dominate the board. Cabot Clothbound is the must-have; without it the plate reads as generic. Always serve cheddar at room temperature, never fridge-cold.

Where to eat vermont cheddar

Vermont cheddar in Burlington

The Inn at Shelburne Farms ★ 4.3

Modern European$$$$$75-95 per headMon-Fri 07:30-11:00, Sat-Sun 08:00-12:00; Dinner Daily 17:00-20:30Book 30 days advance ahead

Vermont's pioneering farm-to-table fine-dining room inside the 1899 Webb-Vanderbilt estate on Lake Champlain, eight miles south of Burlington.

1611 Harbor Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482

Hen of the Wood ★ 4.8

Modern EuropeanChef Eric Warnstedt$$$$$70-95 per head a la carteDaily 17:00-22:00Book 3-4 weeks ahead

Burlington's flagship farm-to-table room. James Beard nominations across multiple years; chef Eric Warnstedt opened the Waterbury original in 2005.

55 Cherry St, Burlington, VT 05401 Book →

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