Eat our local cheeses or lose our local cheeses, warns Neal's Yard Dairy

As their name suggests, British territorial cheeses (think crumbly Lancashire and nettle-wrapped Cornish Yarg) have a particular relationship with the places in which they are made, reflecting geography and climate.

In a world of increasingly industrialised food production, they are living history, made with centuries-old recipes and methods. However, as farmers everywhere face challenges, their cheeses need support more than ever to survive — and the best way to do that, says Neal’s Yard Dairy, ‘is by eating them’.

That is the sentiment behind its Eat Them or Lose Them campaign, in which the cheesemonger has launched a Territorial selection box (£70) of five cheeses (Appleby’s Cheshire, Cotherstone, Gorwydd Caerphilly, Kirkham’s Lancashire and Yoredale Wensleydale) and two bottles of porter.

‘They can do everything Cheddar can do when you cook with them, but are much more interesting and complex,’ says Thea Everett, who has been developing recipes for Neal’s Yard to support the campaign.

‘British territorials have acidity and a wonderfully tangy, yoghurty flavour, so they really bring out the best in other ingredients, particularly sweet summer vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes. Because they have a high moisture content, they melt beautifully, with a delicious chewiness and a crispyness at the edges.'

'Cheese is often an afterthought ingredient when cooking, but I want to show that a special cheese can be the main ingredient, in the same way you’d choose a particular cut of meat.’