Pilgrims Choice was founded by David Hardisty, the founder of North Downs Dairy, in 1985, and was bought by the Irish Dairy Board in 1997. The brand Pilgrims Choice was launched onto the retail market in 1999 as a pre-packaged cheese in its trademark black packaging. Pilgrims Choice Farmhouse Vintage Extra Mature then became Britain's fastest growing
Protected Designated Origin West Country farmhouse cheddar brand, with sales of more than £20 million by the year 2000. The campaign gave viewers the chance to vote for contestants that did not get through the first round of auditions by visiting the company's website and casting their vote. In September 2020, it was announced that Ornua would revamp Pilgrims Choice cheese blocks with a plastic-saving eco-friendly pack format. In July 2022, Pilgrims Choice launched a 10-second TV advertising campaign targeting gastronomes on
Food Network, as well as
Discovery+ and
YouTube. In October 2022, it was announced that Simon Ball was appointed by Ornua as the managing director of Ornua Foods. == Reception ==