The cheese will be sold for charity

Since January, more than 1.5 million people have logged on to Cheddarvision.tv to watch a 44-pound round of cheese as it matures.

The test involved removing a core of "Wedginald", which was sniffed and tasted for depth and maturity.

The taster said the cheese exhibited "hints of caramel and a note of grass".

'Astounding response'

The cheese has become a big hit on the internet, with more than 1,250 registered MySpace friends.

A time-lapse video of Wedginald's first three months has been viewed on YouTube more than 344,000 times.

Cheese taster Tom Calver said: "It's been amazing. We still can't believe it.

"The response to our cheddarvision webcam has been astounding. It was surprising enough that the site attracted so much interest when we first launched it in January."

The project, created by Westcountry Farmhouse Cheesemakers, will last for a further three months and is based at a farm in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

At the end of the year, the cheese, valued at about �400, will be auctioned off for charity.