A great taste of Wales has arrived in the USA as Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar becomes available stateside for the very first time.
American food lovers fell in love with the UK's most popular branded Welsh cheddar at the Fancy Food Show in New York and Collier’s is now available to retailers and distributors from Abbey Speciality Foods in New Jersey.
The fantastic flavour and taste of Collier's has won over consumers who shop in such great US stores as Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Schnucks and AJ Finer Foods.
The distinctive Collier's brand was inspired by Wales' proud industrial heritage which particularly appeals to Americans, explains Chris Swire, of Fayrefield Foods, the man behind Collier's.
"Americans tell us they love all things Welsh and there are of course well-recognised links between Wales and America. Welsh migrants travelled mainly to Pennsylvania in the nineteenth century to dig coal in the anthracite mines, which makes the Collier's brand very appealing," he says.
"Cheese was the favored food for hard-working coal miners and gave them the energy to endure the long hours working underground."
"So it makes perfect sense that some 150 years later we are retracing the steps of those Welsh colliers to bring our Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar to America."
There are 1.75 million Americans that claim Welsh ancestry and eight US presidents with Welsh roots including Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
Collier's characteristics reflect the strengths of the coal miner: power, integrity and reliability.
Made in Wales, Collier's is a uniquely powerful cheddar with a long, deep character and savoury, yet slightly sweet taste. Unusually, it contains tantalizing "crunchy bits" which are actually calcium lactate grains that develop during maturation and are evidence of the cheese's high quality.
The old, traditional Welsh recipe is a closely guarded secret. It is matured for up to 20 months and is regularly and carefully graded throughout its development, until it attains the unique taste and texture that defines Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar.
Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar was named 'Best Extra Mature Cheese in the UK' at the International Cheese Awards at Nantwich earlier this year.
