Cheddar

Cheddar most often refers to either:

It may also refer to:

Places

Food and service

See also

Cheddar cheese

Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, off-white (or orange if spices such as annatto are added), sometimes "sharp" (i.e., acidic)-tasting, natural cheese. Originating in the British village of Cheddar in Somerset, cheeses of this style are produced beyond this region and in several countries around the world.

Cheddar is the most popular type of cheese in the UK, accounting for 51% of the country's £1.9 billion annual cheese market. It is also the second-most-popular cheese in the US (behind mozzarella), with an average annual consumption of 10 lb (4.5 kg) per capita. The United States produced approximately 3,000,000,000 lb (1,300,000 long tons; 1,400,000 tonnes) in 2014, and the UK 258,000 long tons (262,000 tonnes) in 2008. The term "Cheddar cheese" is widely used, but has no Protected Designation of Origin within the European Union, although only Cheddar produced from local milk within four counties of south west England may use the name "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar".

History

Cheddar, Somerset

Coordinates: 51°16′44″N 2°46′41″W / 51.279°N 2.778°W / 51.279; -2.778

Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross. The village, which has its own parish council, has a population of 5,755 and the parish has an acreage of 8,592 acres (3,477 ha) as of 1961.

Cheddar Gorge, on the northern edge of the village, is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves including Gough's Cave. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace. It has a temperate climate and provides a unique geological and biological environment that has been recognised by the designation of several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing. The crop was formerly transported on the Cheddar Valley rail line, which closed in the late 1960s but is now a cycle path. The village is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

Cheddar's Casual Café

Cheddar's Casual Cafe is an American restaurant chain based in Irving, Texas. Founded in 1979, as of 2013 the chain has more than 130 locations in 23 states.

History

Cheddar's was founded in 1979 by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers. The first location was in Arlington, Texas, and the chain reached 10 locations by 1995.

By 2003, Cheddar’s had 42 restaurants in 13 states and Brazos Private Equity Partners made an initial investment to grow the company that year. In August 2006, when the company had 55 restaurants in 15 states, Oak Investment Partners and Catterton Partners jointly purchased Cheddar’s.

In August 2007, the company recruited Kelly Baltes from Darden Restaurants to serve as CEO. Today the company has more than 135 company-owned and franchise locations in 23 states.

Menu

The neighborhood-style restaurants serve steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers, salads and desserts. All locations feature a full bar. In 2013, the restaurant introduced a “575 calories and under” menu to meet growing demand for lighter fare.