National Cheddar Day is a holiday observed on February 13th that celebrates the sharp-tasting natural cheese originating from the English village of Cheddar, Somerset, in the 12th century. Nowadays, cheddar cheese is the most popular cheese in the United Kingdom and the second most popular in the United States—second only to mozzarella. What makes cheddar such a popular cheese is its versatility in dishes such as mac & cheese, cheddar cheese fries, potatoes au gratin, and cheeseburgers.

The History of National Cheddar Day

National Cheddar Day was first created in 2019 by Tillamook—a farmer-owned cooperative founded in Oregon—to celebrate its 110th birthday and to help spread the word about the pleasures of cheddar cheese.

Facts About Cheddar Cheese

For those celebrating this holiday, who are likely big cheddar cheese fans, we decided to gather some more information about this cheese that might be of interest. The following facts are all cheddar cheese-related and should intrigue every cheddar enthusiast.

Cheddar Was Reportedly Discovered by Accident

According to local legends, cheddar cheese was first discovered by a milkmaid who lived 800 years ago. The story goes that she left a pail of milk in the Cheddar Gorge caves and returned later to find that the milk had turned into cheddar cheese.

Queen Victoria Received Cheddar as a Wedding Present

In 1840, Queen Victoria of England was gifted a giant wheel of cheddar for her wedding. This cheese wheel weighed a thousand pounds—about 15 times larger than the average wheel of cheddar cheese.

The Number of Cheese Producers in England Waned After the World Wars

As a result of the UK government taking control of the milk supply during WWI and WWII, the number of cheese producers in England fell from about 3,500 before WWI to fewer than 100 after World War II. Britain used the milk for rationing during these wars to produce what was called Government Cheddar.

U.S. President Andrew Jackson Served a Lot of Cheese

Another fact we learned during our cheddar cheese research is that U.S. President Andrew Jackson once held an open house party at the White House where he served a lot of cheddar cheese. How much cheese did he serve? He served a 1,400-pound block of cheddar. Unfortunately, we don’t know how many crackers he served.

Observing National Cheddar Day

The best way to observe this holiday is by acquiring the highest quality cheddar cheese you can find and using it to create something delicious. You can use it to make ham and cheddar cheese sandwiches, Irish nachos, broccoli and cheddar cheese, beer and cheddar soup, cheddar quesadillas, or cheddar cheese straws. While celebrating this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalCheddarDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about it to everyone around the world.