Handmade chutney and pickles for cheese and cold cuts
This is the savoury heart of our larder, the shelf you raid for a ploughman’s, a cheeseboard or a sandwich that deserves better. Every jar of our handmade chutney in the UK is cooked open-pan in small batches at The Old Rectory, then left to mature so the flavours settle. If you want to buy chutney online in the UK and taste the difference that proper simmer time in the pan makes, start here.
The range covers the classics and a few favourites of our own. There is a rich caramelised onion chutney and a deep red onion chutney, both natural partners for cheese; a sharp, mustardy piccalilli; and proper pickled onions for those who like a crunch. We make a beetroot chutney with real earthiness, a real ale chutney with a savoury edge, and a dedicated cheeseboard chutney designed as chutney for cheese rather than an afterthought.
Ask us for the best chutney for cheddar and we will usually point you at the onion chutneys or the cheeseboard blend, because a mature cheddar wants something sweet, sharp and a little oniony beside it. That said, the joy of a board is variety, so a couple of contrasting jars beats any single right answer.
Building a cheeseboard that works
A good board balances sweet and sharp. Pair these chutneys with a drizzle of our chilli hot honey for the soft cheeses, and keep a jar from our sweet preserves nearby for anyone who likes fruit with their cheese. At Christmas the same jars anchor our festive cheeseboard range, and a chutney selection makes a dependable gift set for the cook in your life.
Several of these chutneys are multiple award winners, so if you are choosing blind, the award-winning collection and our best-selling preserves will steer you to the safe bets. Whichever jar you open, it has been made and matured by the same small team in Wiltshire.
Chutney rewards patience, which is why ours is left to mature after cooking rather than rushed to the shelf. That resting time rounds off the vinegar and lets the spices settle into something mellow and savoury. With over 100 seasonal specials made across the year, the savoury range shifts with what is good and what the cheese counter is calling for, so it is worth a regular look. Everything is cooked open-pan in small batches and carries our five-out-of-five food hygiene rating.
Chutney is not confined to the cheeseboard either. A spoonful lifts a pork pie or a sausage roll, sharpens a burger or a toastie, and turns yesterday’s cold roast into a proper sandwich. Pickled onions and piccalilli, meanwhile, are the traditional companions to a ploughman’s lunch and a plate of cold cuts.
Each chutney on this shelf has its own job to do, which is worth knowing when you are matching jars to a meal. The caramelised onion and red onion chutneys are the all-rounders, equally at home with a mature cheddar, a burger or a sausage roll. Beetroot chutney brings an earthy sweetness that flatters goat’s cheese and cold beef, while the real ale chutney has a savoury depth made for a proper ploughman’s.
Piccalilli, with its mustard and turmeric tang, is the traditional partner to cold cuts, pork pies and a Boxing Day spread, and crisp pickled onions belong beside cheese and a pint. The dedicated cheeseboard chutney is blended specifically to sit between several cheeses without overpowering any of them.
As a rule of thumb, match sweet, mellow chutneys to sharp hard cheeses, and tangier pickles to richer, fattier foods. A board with two or three contrasting jars will always give your guests more to enjoy than a single safe choice ever could. If you are stocking a larder from scratch, an onion chutney, a piccalilli and a jar of pickled onions will cover almost every savoury occasion between them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chutney for cheddar?
A caramelised or red onion chutney works beautifully with mature cheddar, as the sweetness balances the sharp cheese.
What is the difference between chutney and pickle?
Chutney is cooked down to a soft, jam-like texture, while pickles like our onions stay crisp in a tangy vinegar.
How long does chutney keep once opened?
Once opened, keep the chutney refrigerated and use it within a few weeks, following the guidance on the jar.
Which chutney is best for a cheeseboard?
Our dedicated cheeseboard chutney is made for the job, though pairing two contrasting jars gives a board more variety.
