Chasing the Cheese: Why Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Belongs on Every Food Lover’s Calendar

Each spring bank holiday, the quiet countryside of Cooper's Hill transforms into one of Britain’s most gloriously eccentric spectacles: the world-famous Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake.

Hundreds gather on the steep green slopes near Brockworth to witness competitors hurtle downhill in pursuit of a wheel of cheese travelling at astonishing speed. It is chaotic, joyous and deeply English.

For cheesemongers and lovers of British artisan food, the event represents far more than a daring race. It is a celebration of terroir, craftsmanship, and a centuries-old farming tradition that continues to define the Gloucestershire landscape.

The Heritage Behind the Hill

The origins of the cheese rolling are delightfully unclear. Some historians trace the custom back over 600 years, perhaps linked to pagan rites welcoming the return of spring or local rights of grazing on common land. What remains certain is that the tradition has endured because of the region’s profound relationship with cheese-making.

At the heart of the event sits a seven-to-nine-pound wheel of Gloucester cheese, but the wider story of Gloucestershire cheese deserves equal attention. There are two types of Gloucester cheese – Single and Double. For a real deep dive, why not listed to our podcast episode about the cheeses and area.

In this month’s Cheese Club, in honour of this kooky tradition, we are featuring Simon Weaver’s Organic Single Gloucester. Made exclusively from the milk of Gloucester cattle, Single Gloucester carries Protected Designation of Origin status, ensuring it can only be produced within Gloucestershire using traditional methods. The result is a cheese of remarkable subtlety: buttery, creamy, lightly nutty, and elegantly lactic, with a supple texture that speaks beautifully of the English countryside.

Why Organic Single Gloucester Deserves a Place on Your Cheeseboard

Among the finest contemporary producers is Simon Weaver, whose Organic Single Gloucester captures the authentic character of the Cotswolds. Handily, its also one of the most local cheesemaker to our Bourton on the Water Cheese Maturing Rooms.

Crafted using organic milk from pasture-fed cows grazing the rolling hills of the region, this cheese delivers a depth of flavour impossible to separate from its landscape. Gentle grassy notes, fresh cream richness, and a clean savoury finish make it a superb addition to both traditional British cheese boards and modern seasonal cooking.

Unlike heavier territorial cheeses, Organic Single Gloucester possesses a graceful delicacy that pairs beautifully with:

• Fresh apples and pears
• Crusty sourdough
• Chutneys and pickled walnuts
• Dry cider from the West Country
• Light English ales

Its versatility also makes it ideal for elevated comfort food, think bubbling cheese toasties, refined Welsh rarebit, or folded through buttery mashed potatoes.

A Festival Rooted in Artisan Food Culture

What makes the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling so enduring is its authenticity. There are no elaborate corporate stages or sanitised reinventions. Instead, it remains gloriously tied to the agricultural identity of Gloucestershire.

For those inspired by the race itself, enjoying an authentic Organic Single Gloucester from the comfort of your own home provides a far more civilised way to enjoy Gloucestershire cheese than tumbling down a near-vertical hill in pursuit of it.