Wensleydale Orange and Chocolate by Somerdale is a modern, proprietary blended cheese that stands at the intersection of traditional British dairying and contemporary confectionary. It is classified as a "sweet blend" or "dessert cheese," explicitly positioned for "Holiday entertaining".1
The concept is not to present a traditional territorial cheese, but rather to utilize the unique properties of White Wensleydale as an ingredient. The foundational cheese is prized for its "moist, crumbly texture, honeyed aroma and fresh, clean taste," which collectively make it an ideal "base for a variety of flavors".4 This product exemplifies a significant trend in the modern British cheese industry: leveraging the clean, lactic profile and distinctive texture of cheeses like Wensleydale as "carriers" for sweet or savory inclusions. The Wensleydale’s natural, mild acidity is a crucial, if subtle, element, providing a necessary counterpoint to the sweetness of the chocolate and candied fruit, preventing the final product from becoming cloying.2
The producer, Somerdale International, is not the primary cheesemaker but a "leading exporter of British cheese" based in Wellington, Somerset.2 Somerdale partners with various creameries to source "authentic English Wensleydale" 2, which they then blend and export. This product is a prime example of their focus on "innovation" and developing "new cheeses, brands & packaging formats" to meet the demands of the global marketplace.6
The following table provides an at-a-glance summary of the cheese's technical specifications.
Table 1: Technical Specification Summary
| Specification | Detail | | :---- | :---- | | Product Name | Wensleydale Orange and Chocolate | | Producer/Blender | Somerdale International (Wellington, Somerset, UK) 2 | | Base Cheese | White Wensleydale (Sourced from Wensleydale, North Yorkshire) 2 | | Milk Type | $100\%$ Cow's Milk 1 | | Milk Treatment | Pasteurized 4 | | Rennet | Vegetarian / Microbial 4 | | Base Cheese Aging | Approx. 3-4 Weeks (Fresh/White Wensleydale) 10 | | Classification | Blended / Sweet / Dessert Cheese 1 | | Key Additives | Milk Chocolate Chips ($8\%$), Candied Orange Peel ($4\%$), Fructose ($4\%$) 1 | | Seasonal Availability | November - December 1 |
The product has a dual origin. The base cheese is Wensleydale, a classic British territorial that originated in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England.8 Its history dates to the 12th century, first produced by French Cistercian monks from the Roquefort region who had settled in the area.8
The final blended product is created and marketed by Somerdale International, a British cheese exporter based in Wellington, Somerset, UK.2
This product's provenance highlights a critical distinction in cheese classification. "Yorkshire Wensleydale" holds a coveted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, a legal protection ensuring that any cheese bearing the name is produced in the designated area of Wensleydale from local milk and according to a time-honored recipe.14
Somerdale, based in Somerset, is not the PGI-holding producer.2 Instead, they function as a secondary processor or blender. They source the authentic PGI-protected Wensleydale as a primary ingredient from a licensed creamery in the region.2 This base cheese is then transported to Somerdale's facility, where it is blended with the non-cheese ingredients. Consequently, the final retail product, "Wensleydale Orange and Chocolate by Somerdale," is a proprietary, branded blend that contains a PGI ingredient; it is not, in itself, a PGI-protected cheese.
This cheese is made from $100\%$ cow's milk.1 All available technical specifications consistently state the milk is Pasteurized.4 This treatment is standard for large-scale, export-focused cheeses, ensuring microbiological safety and stability in a high-moisture product. This is a defining characteristic of modern Wensleydale; historically, the cheese was first made from ewe's milk, with the shift to cow's milk beginning in the 14th century.13
The cheese is made using Vegetarian Rennet 4 or Microbial Rennet.8 This is a deliberate production and marketing choice, making the cheese suitable for vegetarians.2 This broadens its appeal significantly, particularly in key export markets like the United States, where such labeling is a key purchasing driver.5
The aging period of the base cheese is a critical factor in this product's design. While traditional Wensleydale is aged for 3-6 months 13, and some of Somerdale's other fruit-blended cheeses (like Cranberry and Blueberry) are noted in technical sheets as using a base cheese aged 7-9 months 18, this is not the case for the Orange and Chocolate variety.
An older Wensleydale would be significantly drier, firmer, and tangier.20 Such a texture would be texturally incompatible with the soft milk chocolate chips, resulting in hard, chalky curds against waxy chocolate.
The sensory descriptions of this product consistently refer to it as "mild" 8 and "fresh".4 This language aligns perfectly with "White Wensleydale," the young, fresh variant of the cheese, which can be aged for as little as 3 weeks.10 To achieve the requisite "moist, crumbly" texture 4 that functions as a successful base for soft, sweet additions, a young, fresh Wensleydale is used. The cheese is then blended and sold, not aged further.
As a blended cheese, this product contains a significant portion of non-cheese ingredients.
The flavor of this product is a layered experience, beginning with the base cheese. The White Wensleydale foundation is "mild," "fresh," and "clean," with a characteristic subtle lactic tang and "honeyed aroma".2
However, the dominant profile is "deliciously sweet".8 The primary flavor is the classic confectionary pairing of milk chocolate and zesty, citrusy orange.4 The experience is often compared by consumers to a "Terry's Chocolate Orange".22 The cheese base itself functions as a secondary, supporting flavor, providing a creamy, lactic body and a faint, tangy finish that cuts the sweetness and reminds the palate that this is a dairy product.
The texture of the Wensleydale base is its defining characteristic: "moist," "firm and flaky," and "supple and crumbly".4 The final blended product presents a complex, heterogeneous mouthfeel. The flaky, yielding curds of the cheese paste are studded with "particulates".1 These include the firm-but-soft bite of the milk chocolate chips and the distinct, chewy texture of the candied orange peel.8
This product is not intended for affinage or aging. It is a fresh, blended cheese designed for immediate consumption. Its high moisture and high sugar content mean its quality will only degrade, not improve, with time.
Recommended storage is refrigerated at 35°F - 37°F.3 After opening, it should be wrapped in parchment or wax paper (which allows the cheese to breathe) and stored in a resealable container to prevent it from drying out or absorbing other refrigerator aromas.3
The spoilage profile of this cheese is fundamentally different from that of a traditional, aged Wensleydale. Due to its high sugar and moisture content, it is highly prone to yeast and mold contamination, and its spoilage will be more akin to a dairy dessert than a hard cheese.
This cheese is unequivocally a "dessert cheese" 1 and should be served as such, typically as the final item on a "Holiday" cheese board.1
Table 2: Culinary Pairing Matrix
| Pairing Type | Recommendation | Pairing Rationale and Analysis | | :---- | :---- | :---- | | Wine (Fortified) | Tawny Port 1 | Harmony: This is the most-cited pairing. The nutty, oxidized, and dried fruit notes of a Tawny Port will harmonize perfectly with the milk chocolate, while its residual sugar matches the cheese's sweetness. | | Wine (Dessert) | Sauternes 8 | Echo: A sophisticated pairing. The botrytized notes of honey, apricot, and orange marmalade in the wine will directly echo the candied orange in the cheese, creating a seamless flavor bridge. | | Wine (Sparkling) | Champagne 4 or Prosecco 2 | Contrast: The high acidity and sharp effervescence of a dry sparkling wine will slice through the high-fat, high-sugar content of the cheese, cleansing the palate and preventing it from becoming cloying. | | Beer (Dark) | Milk Stout or English Porter | Harmony: The roasted coffee, toffee, and dark cocoa notes in these beers 30 will envelop the chocolate chips, creating a rich, dessert-like "mocha-orange" profile. | | Beer (Fruited) | Belgian Wit or Hefeweizen | Complementary: A Belgian-style Witbier, which is often brewed with orange peel, will create a direct flavor echo. A Hefeweizen's banana and clove notes 33 would also complement the sweet cheese. | | Cracker (Sweet) | Graham Crackers 34 or Ginger Snaps 34 | Complements & Amplifies: This approach leans fully into the dessert concept, creating a "deconstructed cheesecake" bite. The spice from ginger provides a sophisticated counterpoint. | | Cracker (Neutral) | Table Water Crackers 36 | Vehicle: This is the traditional, neutral approach, using the cracker purely as a delivery vehicle and allowing the cheese's complex texture and flavor to be the sole focus. | | Food (Savory) | Popover with Black Pepper 4 | Savory Contrast: A highly creative suggestion. When incorporated into a hot popover, the cheese would melt, creating a dynamic brunch item where the sweet, citrus, and chocolate notes are contrasted by the sharp, savory black pepper. |
The creation of this blend is not an ancient tradition but a very recent, commercially-driven innovation. One source claims the idea for the cheese was born at the cheesemaking firm Coombe Castle (a known Somerdale partner 4) after a "home-baked chocolate orange birthday cake" was enjoyed at a company celebration.37 This event reportedly inspired the "new cheese vision," a story that confirms the product's true identity as a cheese-confection hybrid.
The producer, Somerdale International, is one of the United Kingdom's most significant cheese exporters, founded in 1990.38 The company has twice won the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade.5 This context is key to understanding the product. This cheese, with its "adventurous" and sweet profile, was likely designed specifically for the international export market, particularly the United States, which is known for its appetite for innovative, sweet-savory, and "adventurous" cheese blends.5
The commercial viability of this niche product owes a significant debt to popular culture. The base cheese, Wensleydale, was rescued from commercial obscurity in the 1990s by its frequent, loving mentions as the favorite cheese of the animated character Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit series of films.13 This media exposure created enormous global brand recognition and consumer demand for Wensleydale. This popularity is what provides the cultural cachet and market foundation that allows an exporter like Somerdale to successfully market and sell such an unconventional, blended spin-off.
This cheese is a case study in the tension between cheese traditionalists and modern consumers. While Somerdale markets it as an innovative treat, its reception in cheese communities is sharply divided. Many shoppers and cheese purists find the concept of adding chocolate to a classic territorial cheese to be abhorrent.46 It has been described in online forums as "wrong on all levels?!" 46, "awful" 46, and, most strongly, "a disgrace and an insult to real Wensleydale".47 It has become a "poster child" for the controversial, yet highly commercial, trend of "doing horrible things to Wensleydales" 47—that is, using its high-quality, PGI-protected base as a canvas for confectionary.
Wensleydale Orange and Chocolate is not a year-round product. Somerdale strategically launches it specifically for the holiday season, with availability noted for November and December.1 This positions it as a limited, festive "treat" rather than a staple cheese, aligning perfectly with its dessert-like, celebratory profile and its use on holiday cheese boards.1