Thousands log on for cheesy project

TENS of thousands of cheese lovers logged on to the internet yesterday to witness the thrilling highlight of one of the world’s most unlikely spectator sports.

Over the last three months more than 500,000 people across the globe have logged on to www.cheddarvision.tv to watch a round of cheddar cheese as it slowly matures.

Viewing reached fever- pitch yesterday when, for the first time during the project, something actually happened.

The 44lb handmade cheese, that already sports a faint grey coat of mould, underwent its first quality check.

More than 100,000 viewers have logged on this week in the run-up to the cheese being put through its paces during a three-month maturity test.

Thankfully the round of Cheddar passed with flying colours and is expected to go on to deliver a flavour of “depth and maturity” in nine months’ time.

Expert cheese maker Tom Calver pulled out a core of cheese, so it could be sniffed and tasted it to check if it was maturing properly.

The project, expected to last for a further nine months, is based at a farm in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

At the end of the year the cheese, valued at around £400 (€588), will be auctioned for charity.

Dom Lane of Westcountry Farmhouse Cheesemakers is behind the cheddarvision website.

He said: “We were pleasantly surprised with the taste, it was very fresh yet buttery with an early hint of a nutty taste that we would expect to develop over the next nine months.”