We’re an eclectic lot at Core Towers but one thing that brings us all together is, of course, a communal love of the savoury Holy Grail that is cheese.

Our tastes in cheeses vary wildly, but fortunately there are a multitude of different dairy options to satisfy every pallet*: from the stalwart, powerful and quintessentially British cheddar; to the decadent European delights of adulterated cheeses that come packed full of fruits, and those crammed with chillies and spices, there’s something for everyone.

In a timely fashion, this weekend heralds the National Cheese Awards 2011, which marks the start of British Cheese Week.  The Awards will see cheese producers from around the UK come together to crown the ‘best in breed’.

A bit like Crufts, but for cheese.

Even celebrities are getting an individually-wrapped slice of the action, with Britpop legend and former Blur bassist-turned-cheese-wizard Alex James taking top spot as possibly the highest-profile turophile (that’s a lover of cheese for all those who think that a peelable, plastic stick is what it’s all about) in the UK.

Produced on a farm in Oxfordshire, Alex’s Little Wallop goat’s cheese picked up the top award in 2008 and he is now turning his hand to a number of left-field, boundary-pushing projects, including the development of a pourable cheese, a cheddar tikka masala, and bread-shaped slices of cheddar.

As Alex proclaimed in a recent interview: “When the cheese comes out, everyone’s happy!”

Well said, sir.

*unless you’re a vegan, in which case you’d probably best stick with a Ryvita.