Queen Victoria received a massive 1,232-pound wheel of Cheddar cheese as a wedding gift in 1840.

When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert on February 10, 1840, the farmers of West Pennard in Somerset decided to create a monumental tribute. Led by a farmer named Thomas Berry, the community pooled the milk from 750 cows to produce a Cheddar wheel weighing approximately 1,232 pounds (558 kilograms). This massive creation measured over nine feet in circumference and twenty inches in depth.The cheese was presented to the Queen at Buckingham Palace after being transported on a specially reinforced wagon. Because of its size and the craftsmanship involved, it became a national sensation. It was even featured in various public exhibitions before the Queen eventually requested its removal from the palace grounds.The production of such a large cheese was a significant technical feat for the mid-19th century. Standard Cheddar wheels typically weighed between 60 and 80 pounds, making this version nearly twenty times the normal size. The sheer volume of milk required meant that the curd had to be carefully managed to prevent spoilage during the pressing process.Ultimately, the Queen donated the remaining cheese to local schools and the poor. Historical records from the Somerset County Gazette and local archives confirm the scale of the gift and its cultural impact. This event helped solidify Somerset's reputation as the premier region for high-quality Cheddar production in England.