Sharp, firm, often clothbound cheddar made from Vermont cow's milk. The state's defining food export and the centre of every Burlington cheese plate.

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.

Where to eat Vermont cheddar in Burlington

4 editor picks for Vermont cheddar in Burlington, ranked by editorial score. All Burlington signature dishes · Vermont cheddar across every city.

Make it at home

Serves 430 minEasy

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.

Editor tip. 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.

Common allergens: Dairy.