A DORSET cheese is as tasty as ever despite spending seven years in the bottom of a fridge.

The West Country cheddar, made in Litton Cheney, near Dorchester, was found last week by a pensioner in London who decided to try it despite the fact it was 2,055 days past its use-by date.

John Sears, of Ealing, said: “It was a Christmas present years ago but I missed the use-by date and left it in the fridge.

“I kept thinking I must look at it one day but never got round to it, I thought it was a few years old but it turns out it was a bit older than that.

“I was making a cheese sauce and didn’t have enough strong cheese so I dug it out.”

The 68-year-old said: “When I opened it I thought it would be all shrivelled up but it was perfect, a very good mature cheese.

“I do eat mature cheddar and just like cheese in general, that one was particularly tasty. When I would clean the fridge out I just kept putting it back.

“I hadn’t even opened the muslin to look inside.”

The farmhouse cheddar was made in 2005 by Ford Farm at the Ashley Chase Estate factory in Litton Cheney.

Mr Sears added: “It’s amazing really to think it’s been there for so long but it didn’t smell or anything.

“I don’t believe in use-by dates. I’ve always thought they were nonsense.”

Cheese experts at Ford Farm were excited to learn about Mr Sears’ discovery and sent a courier to bring the cheddar back to Dorset for testing.

Heloise D’Souza of Ford Farm, said: “Mr Sears contacted us through the internet and said he had been through his fridge and found a cheese from 2005.

“He said he had cut into it and said it tasted absolutely wonderful and was sending the message to say thanks.

“Typically West Country cheddar would mature for a maximum of around 12 months. For farmhouse cheddar like this one it’s sometimes 15 months but it would be quite strong by then.

“We have never heard of one that’s seven years old before and were really interested to try it, when we did it tasted great.”

Going where no reporter has gone before

Echo Reporter Rachael Burnett, left, tries the ripe cheddar: “When I was told to go and sample a seven-year-old cheese I must admit I was a little bit worried.

“The cheese in question looked and smelt fine and I was assured that it had been approved as edible by the experts at Ford Farm.

“But it was more than edible, it was delicious.

“Easily the strongest, tangiest farmhouse cheddar I’ve ever eaten, this cheese had quite a kick.

“The wax had preserved it well, keeping its crumbly goodness and rich flavour – it was almost as strong as a blue cheese.

“If it were possible to buy seven-year-old cheddar I would be putting in a sizable order.”