THE red poppy, a potent symbol of remembrance will become ever more potent for the Royal British Legion’s appeal this year with the unveiling of the Red Poppy Cheddar Cheese. 

The Poppy Cheddar made by award winning Dorset Cheesemakers, Ford Farm, is a veteran - aged for up to nine months before being pressed into the shape of The Royal British Legion’s iconic poppy logo. 

The cheddar is then coated in a shiny poppy-red wax. 

The Farm is currently churning out 15,000 Poppy Cheddars which coincided with the launch of this year’s appeal in Dorset.

The majority of the cheddars will be distributed through Tesco stores nationwide.

Each individual cheddar will carry a retail price of £2.00 and a minimum 75p for each one sold will be donated directly to the Poppy Appeal. 

Last year, with the support of Tesco, Ford Farm raised £8,500 for the Poppy Appeal. 

This year, they are hoping to increase that figure to over £11,000. 

The Poppy Cheddars are made using Ford Farm’s award winning West Country Farmhouse PDO Cheddar which is made by hand from milk sourced from local herds that graze the rich, lush pastures of the surrounding countryside. 

The nine months of ageing bestows the cheese with its signature rich, tangy and nutty flavour and creamy texture.

Each cheese is then hand dipped in red wax to preserve freshness. 
Despite its long-standing heritage, cheddar cheese remains as relevant in the 21st century as it was when it was first developed over 500 years ago.

This very much reflects the Royal British Legion’s objectives for 2017 – that is to encourage the public to associate the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance with the modern day Armed Forces community as well as with the veterans from the past. 

The Poppy Cheddar will be available from Tesco nationwide as well as via selected cheese retailers in Dorset and on line at www.fordfarm.com