Writer William Somerset Maugham once said that to eat well in England, you must eat breakfast three times a day. He forgot about cheese. Whatever disparaging remarks have been made about British food, it can't be denied that many good cheeses are made in Britain.
The most obvious is cheddar, a cheese that originated in the English village of the same name more than 900 years ago, but which is now made with varying success in many countries. It's a pity Cheddar didn't have an AOC (appellation d'origine controlee) to protect the name, set strict parameters about how it is made and prevent it from being copied elsewhere. Some versions are cheddar in name only - garishly orange (English cheddar is traditionally not coloured), with a waxy texture and a mild, perhaps insipid, flavour. Other 'interpretations' are as delicious as the real deal without being precise copies. There is, however, a European PDO (protected designation of origin) for West Country farmhouse cheddar. This stipulates that the cheese be made with local ingredients in a traditional way in one of four counties in southwest England - Somerset, Dorset, Devon or Cornwall.
Genuine English cheddar has a sharp flavour and is firm but crumbly - it is impossible to slice as neatly as manufacturers such as Kraft would have you believe. Classified (108 Hollywood Road, Central, tel: 2525 3454) and the cheese counter at Great (Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2918 9986) sell real English cheddar.