The Royal Hospital Chelsea echoed to the sounds of Christmas as veterans began their annual festive celebrations with Dorset cheese.

The Chelsea Pensioners joined in a ceremonial celebration of British cheese as Dorset Blue cheesemaker from Dorset kindly donated 3.3kg of Dorset Blue Vinny cheese to the hospital, enough to feed a small army. 

Cheese has been a favourite among British soldiers serving on the front line for centuries. The Chelsea Pensioners today consider the Ceremony of Christmas Cheeses the start of their Yuletide celebrations. 

In total, British cheesemakers donated an impressive 514lbs worth of the finest quality cheeses from around the UK. This year, the ceremonial cheese was a giant 53lbs of Montgomery Cheddar which was cut by In-Pensioner Leo Tighe, aged 74. 

Leo joined the Army in 1959 and served in the Irish Guards for 25 years, attaining the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. During his service, he was deployed to East Africa, Hong Kong, Germany, Belize and the Middle East. Following outstanding service in Jordan, he was honoured to be awarded the British Empire Medal. 

On leaving the Army in 1985, In-Pensioner Tighe became the facilities manager with the Aon Corporation, before moving to Watson-Wyatt Ltd. He became a Chelsea Pensioner in January 2016 and along with his colleagues feels deeply privileged to represent the Royal Hospital throughout London and overseas.

He said: “It is a great honour to take part in this wonderful ceremony, especially as it involves one of my favourite foods. I am extremely proud to be representing my fellow In-Pensioners here at the Royal Hospital today. We cannot thank the cheesemakers enough for their generous contributions. Every year we look forward to receiving this delicious Christmas gift, now it’s time to enjoy it.”

Ash Amirahmadi, chairman of The Dairy Council, said: “Cheesemakers across the UK have a great tradition of paying tribute to the courage and contribution made by our war veterans, and this year they certainly didn’t disappoint.”