The nation's most-famous war veterans begun their annual festivities by celebrating British dairy and cheese.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea hosted a ceremonial celebration of British cheese as dairy farmers and cheesemakers from around the UK donated enough cheese to the hospital to feed a small army.
Cheese has been a favourite among British soldiers serving on the front line for centuries. The Chelsea Pensioners consider the Ceremony of Christmas Cheeses the start of their Yuletide celebrations.
The Ceremony is an annual event which dates back to 1692 when a local cheesemonger agreed to provide war veterans at the Royal Hospital with their festive supply of cheese.
Ever since, cheesemakers from all over the country have continued the tradition and donated a selection of cheeses to the Chelsea Pensioners. The Dairy Council, a non-profit organisation which promotes dairy, has organised the event for over 50 years.
This year, British cheesemakers donated an impressive 514lbs worth of the finest quality cheeses from around the UK including cheddar, stilton, brie and red Leicester.
The ceremonial cheese was a giant 53lbs of Montgomery Cheddar, donated by J A E Montgomery Ltd, which was cut by In-Pensioner Leo Tighe, aged 74.
Mr Tighe joined the Army in 1959 and served in the Irish Guards for 25 years, reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. During his service, he was deployed to East Africa, Hong Kong, Germany, Belize and the Middle East. Following outstanding service in Jordan, he was honoured to be awarded the British Empire Medal.
He became a Chelsea Pensioner in January 2016 and along with his colleagues feels deeply privileged to represent the Royal Hospital throughout London and overseas.
He said: “It is a great honour to take part in this wonderful ceremony, especially as it involves one of my favourite foods. I am extremely proud to be representing my fellow In-Pensioners here at the Royal Hospital today. We cannot thank the cheesemakers enough for their generous contributions. Every year we look forward to receiving this delicious Christmas gift."
Ash Amirahmadi, chairman of The Dairy Council, said: “Cheesemakers across the UK have a great tradition of paying tribute to the courage and contribution made by our war veterans, and this year they certainly didn’t disappoint.
“Cheese is a food of the forces. It has been included in soldiers’ rations for centuries and that says it all – from its nutritional value to its much-loved taste, we have a great British product.”
