Old Winchester | Lyburn Cheese

Old Winchester
On line sales
National on line sales
Stockists

Also known as Old Smales, Old Winchester is an older version of Winchester, on a previous page. This is now a much dryer harder and crystalline cheese, becoming more reminiscent of an old gouda with a distinctive nuttiness in flavour, however it is a product of evolution and need. This cheese is often referred to as a cheddar on menus, however this is incorrect, it is in fact a ‘hybrid’ cheese and much closer to a northern European cheese, but regarded as ‘British Modern’. Because Old Winchester is made with a vegetarian rennet, on a number of occasions the cheese is being sold, and used as a vegetarian replacement for a hard Italian cheese, and yet can still be used as a table cheese, it has that bit more versatility. Because this is a Gouda style cheese, there were traces of EGG white in the form of Lysozyme. However, from April 1st 2026 this is no longer the case as we have stopped using Lysozyme derived from egg. We try to sell the cheese at about 18 months and the wheels will average approx. 4.5kg each. The age will come and go as it is impossible to get the stock level right all the time. At present March 2026 supply is still tight, but we have been making cheese some Saturdays to gain some ground and we will eventually get back on top of the job, by June 2026.

2022 Bronze in the Export Class, British Cheese Awards
2024 Silver and Gold (Export), British Cheese Awards
2024 2 Star Gold Great Taste
2024 World Cheese Awards Bronze.
2025 3 Star Gold, Great Taste Awards.
2026 Gold (Export) and Silver.

Please find the Erudus link to the specification.

This cheese over the years has won a number of awards, including Best Modern British Cheese in 2006, Reserve Champion Cheese at the Bath and West in 2007, and consistently turns in One, Two and Three Star Gold’s at the Great Tate Awards each year.

We get a number of emails from customers looking to buy the cheese from a retailer, below is a list, it won’t be exhaustive, but they are the ones we know of.

Sales & Markets Stores that stock Old Winchester

2005, 2007(Export), 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2024(Export)
2026 (Export)