Applewood, or Applewood smoked cheddar, invented in 1965, is a round, white smoke-flavoured Cheddar cheese manufactured by Norseland Limited (formerly Ilchester Cheese Company) in Somerset.
It is a fairly dense semi-hard cheese. Applewood is not actually smoked but is treated with an artificial smoke flavouring. The cheese is coated with mild paprika, giving it a golden-amber appearance. The cheese itself is rather soft in some cases, making it difficult to grate. The smoked flavour of the cheese does not leave a burnt aftertaste.
In 2019, Norseland Ltd launched a vegan version of their Applewood cheese in collaboration with VBites in both pre-sliced packages and blocks and won the award for Best Vegan Cheese at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2020.
