Derbyshire, England · United Kingdom
Sage Derby.
Sage Derby is a buttery semi-hard cheese shot through with delicate green veins of fresh sage, delivering a mild, herbaceous whisper beneath its creamy texture. The paste is soft enough to yield on your tongue, carrying notes of grass and herb garden that feel more like a subtle breath than a bold statement. Its natural rind frames a cheese that tastes like the English countryside in edible form.
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Origin
53.1°N · 1.6°W
The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Sage Derby is a 17th-century variant of Derby cheese — one of the earliest English herb-flavoured cheeses — in which sage is incorporated into the paste during production, creating a distinctive green marbling.
The herb was historically valued for its perceived health properties. It is traditionally made for Christmas in England.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Semi-hard
- Rind
- wax
- Age
- 1–4 mo
- Intensity
- 2 / 5
- Texture
- semi-hard
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
These bars are a visual read of Sage Derby's flavour and aroma notes, scaled by the cheese's overall intensity — a quick guide, not a lab measurement.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100 g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100 g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Serve, cut & store
Out of the fridge,
into its prime.
Guidance for semi-hard cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.
Rest
Take it out about ≈1 h before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.
Cut
Cut thin half-moons or batons from the wedge; trim waxed or inedible rinds as you go.
Store
Wrap leftovers in cheese paper or wax paper — never cling film, which suffocates the rind — and keep them in the warmest part of the fridge.
Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Sage.
48 pairings across 5 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
Counter listings for Sage Derby are being verified. Check back soon.
Verified counter listings coming soon. Our team updates listings monthly.
Substitutes
No Sage Derby at the counter?.
These will play a similar role on the board and in the pan.
Take it with you
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