'National Cheese Day', June 4

Simon O'Donovan
Jun 4
4 min read

🧀 National Cheese Day – Introduction

Welcome to our National Cheese Day celebration! Cheese has been enjoyed for thousands of years and is one of the world's most popular foods. Made from milk, cheese comes in hundreds of varieties, from mild and creamy to strong and crumbly. Today is a chance to reminisce about favourite cheeses, meals, family traditions, farming, shopping, cooking and perhaps even a few famous cheese-related stories and songs. Whether you enjoy Cheddar on toast, Wensleydale with crackers or a cheese board after dinner, there's something here for everyone.

🧀 Facts About Cheese

Cheese is one of the oldest prepared foods in the world, with evidence suggesting it has been made for over 7,000 years.

Cheese is made from milk, usually from cows, sheep, goats or buffalo.
There are more than 2,000 recognised varieties of cheese worldwide.
Cheddar cheese originated in Somerset, England.
Parmesan is traditionally aged for at least 12 months.
Blue cheeses contain special moulds that create their distinctive appearance and flavour.
Cheese is rich in calcium and protein.
Some cheeses are aged for many years to develop stronger flavours.
The largest cheese-producing countries include the United States, Germany, France and Italy.
Britain's favourite cheese is traditionally Cheddar.
Cheese can be eaten on its own, melted, cooked into dishes or served with fruit and crackers.

🧀 Cheese Idioms & Sayings

The English language is full of cheesy expressions!

Say Cheese! – Smile for a photograph.
The Big Cheese – An important or influential person.
Cheesy – Something overly sentimental or a bit corny.
Hard Cheese! – Bad luck!
Cheese Pairing – Not an idiom, but many people enjoy discussing the perfect cheese and accompaniment.
A Cheese Lover's Dream – A humorous phrase for someone who loves cheese.
Cracking Cheese, Gromit! – The famous phrase associated with Wallace & Gromit.
Life's Gouda! – A modern play on words using the Dutch cheese.

Ask participants if they know any others.

🧀 Memory Challenge – Name As Many Different Cheeses As You Can

How many cheeses can your group name in two minutes?

Common answers might include:

Cheddar, Red Leicester, Double Gloucester, Stilton, Wensleydale, Brie, Camembert, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Feta, Halloumi, Edam, Gouda, Emmental, Swiss, Cheshire, Lancashire, Caerphilly, Blue Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Ricotta, Monterey Jack, Jarlsberg, Gruyère and many more.

Can anyone remember a cheese that is local to their area?

🧀 What Is Your Favourite Cheese?

Everyone has a favourite!

Discussion prompts:

What is your favourite cheese?
How do you like to eat it?
What would you serve with it?
Do you prefer cheese on crackers, sandwiches, toast or in cooking?
Have your tastes changed over the years?
What is the strongest cheese you've ever tried?

Encourage participants to share memories of family meals, picnics, Christmas cheese boards or favourite recipes.

🧀 Cheese Quiz – Introduction

Time to test your cheese knowledge with my National Cheese Day quiz. Don't worry if you don't know all the answers - the aim is to have fun, share memories and learn something new.

🧀 Cheese Quiz – Answers

Use the answer slides after everyone has had a chance to guess.

Possible discussion points include:

Which cheese would you most like to try?
Have you ever visited a cheese-making region?
Which cheeses are commonly eaten in your family?

🌙 Is The Moon Made Of Cheese?

People have joked for centuries that the Moon is made of cheese!

Of course, scientists have confirmed that the Moon is made of rock and dust, not cheese. The idea probably became popular because the Moon's craters and pale yellow appearance can sometimes resemble a giant wheel of cheese.

The myth appears in stories, jokes and children's tales around the world and remains one of the most famous food-related sayings ever created.

Ask participants:

"If the Moon really were made of cheese, what kind would it be?"

🌙 The Cow Jumped Over The Moon

One of the best-loved nursery rhymes is:

"Hey diddle diddle,The cat and the fiddle,The cow jumped over the moon;The little dog laughedTo see such sport,And the dish ran away with the spoon."

Many people learned this rhyme in childhood. Ask the group if they can recite it from memory or remember other nursery rhymes from their school days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIFE9DZM-cQ&list=RDIIFE9DZM-cQ&start_radio=1

🎵 CST Song Of The Day – Wallace & Gromit Theme

Today's song celebrates two of Britain's best-loved animated characters.

The Wallace & Gromit theme was composed by Julian Nott and perfectly captures the humour and inventiveness of the films.

Fun facts:

Wallace's favourite food is Wensleydale cheese.
Wallace famously travelled to the Moon in search of cheese in A Grand Day Out.
Wallace & Gromit were created by Nick Park of 'Aardman Animations' in Bristol.
The theme music has become instantly recognisable around the world.

A perfect choice for National Cheese Day!

🧀 Cheese Rolling Festival

One of Britain's most unusual traditions takes place at Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake in Gloucestershire.

Each year competitors chase a rolling wheel of cheese down a very steep hill. The cheese can reach surprising speeds and usually nobody catches it! The first person to reach the bottom wins the cheese.

Discussion questions:

Would you have taken part when you were younger?
Have you ever seen the event on television?
What is the most unusual competition you've ever heard of?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI&list=RD8e1xvyTdBZI&start_radio=1

🎵 CST Song Of The Day – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

Today's cheese-related song choice is Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) by Benny Hill.

Why does it fit National Cheese Day?

Because cheese begins with milk, and Ernie was Britain's most famous (fictional) singing milkman!