Be inspired by creamy cheese this month

National Cheese Day may have been dreamt up as a way of promoting the creamy stuff, but hey, any excuse to celebrate the wonder of cheese is acceptable in our book. Marked annually on June 4, it's a day to eat, dream and celebrate a global love of cheese, one of the most consumed foods in the world.

With more than 2,000 known varieties on the planet, with more being introduced every day, cheese is one of the most versatile ingredients in your fridge and is loved by millions of people the world over.

A few fun facts

• The most popular cheese recipe in the USA is macaroni and cheese.
• According to The New York World's Fair, the world's largest cheese was put on display on this day in 1964. It weighed over 15,000kg
• Cheese takes up about 1/10 the volume of the milk it was made from.
• A giant wheel of Cheddar cheese was given to Queen Victoria (1837-1901) as a wedding gift. It weighed almost 500kg.

Slather it on

A spreadable, light cream cheese made with fresh cream but containing less fat that the original. Can be used as a spread on bread or biscuits and can also be used for cooking. It is deliciously creamy and easy to spread.

Oven baked Camembert

A smooth, rich taste with sweet notes and a fondant texture. Camembert is a moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century at Camembert, Normandy, in northern France.

Take a full Camembert cheese and place on a baking tray, brush lightly with oil and stick a few sprigs of rosemary in the top surface. Place in a warm oven, or atop a medium heat barbecue. Bake for 20 minutes and serve warm with crispy bread.

Cheesy chicken

Grab some Boursin with garlic and herbs and let a world of cooking options open up before your eyes. It's a full fat, soft cheese, flavoured with garlic and herbs, infused with fragrant parsley, chives and seasoning. Add to salads, pasta or even a jacket potato for instant meals bursting with flavour.

Family size

A larger option for when the entire family come to visit, pick up the maxi version of this delicious cheese. Galbani Mozzarella di Bufala is a fresh mozzarella made with buffalo milk, for a more distinctive and authentic flavour.

Ideal as a tasty main meal, or as an ingredient in hot or cold dishes, Buffalo Mozzarella (Mozzarella di Bufala) is an Italian pasta filata cheese made from the milk of the water buffalo from selected provinces of Southern Italy.

We love it layered on pizza, next to sliced meats, juicy tomatoes and fresh vegetables.