Cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill is due to begin near Brockworth, and the Double Gloucester wheel at the centre of it still comes from Rod Smart's family farm in Churcham. Smart says the prize still tastes "tremendous" even after it reaches speeds of up to 70mph.
Rod Smart And Cooper's Hill
Smart makes the cheese by hand at his family-run farm 15 miles away in Churcham, Gloucestershire. The Smarts have supplied the cheese for decades, and the family has been providing 11 wheels per event ever since they took over the business.
He said he has "no qualms about it being rolled down the hill, but I do wonder about the people who roll down the hill after it". He also described the event as "as organic as the cheese that's rolled down it".
Double Gloucester At 70mph
Each year, hundreds of people chase a 3.5kg wheel of Double Gloucester down the steep hill near Brockworth, and the race draws competitors and spectators from around the world. The winner gets that same size wheel of Double Gloucester, worth around £75.
The pace is the part that sets this race apart. The cheese used in the event can reach 70mph, or 112kmph, on the way down Cooper's Hill.
Churcham To Brockworth
The production behind the prize is slow and physical. Each wheel is pressed over several days, and weight is gradually added until almost three-quarters of a tonne is applied, forcing out the liquid whey.
The race dates back to at least the early 19th Century and takes place during the late spring bank holiday. Its unofficial format is run by local enthusiasts, but the same wheel of Double Gloucester keeps pulling the event back to the hill year after year.
