Pilgrims Choice and Tickler have lost their listings on Morrisons’ pre-pack Cheddar fixture following a range review of the supermarket’s cheese lines.

Pilgrims Choice had previously been listed with its mature Cheddar and Tickler with a 350g wedge of its extra-mature Cheddar.

Morrisons confirmed the two brands had been ­removed. “These changes have allowed us to enhance the consumer’s shopping experience by removing unnecessary duplication and offering a wider choice of cheese,” a spokesman for the retailer said.

The delistings come as the mults are increasingly focusing on their own-label cheese ranges, meaning pressure is rising for Cheddar brands, with many fighting to justify their places on supermarket shelves. In line with this trend, much of the ­focus of Morrisons’ latest range review was on boosting its own-label offering, with the retailer introducing four “award-winning” Cheddars that will be exclusive to Morrisons.

Earlier this year, Wyke Farms and Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar were delisted in Sainsbury’s, and expectations had been rising ever since that other retailers, too, would seek to rationalise the number of Cheddar brands they stock in a bid to avoid the “unnecessary duplication” cited by Morrisons.

Although they have lost their listings on the pre-pack fixture, Tickler and Pilgrims Choice continue to be on sale on Morrisons’ deli counters.

Will Sanderson, Milk Link ­corporate ­affairs director, said the majority of Tickler sales in Morrisons had come from the deli counter, and the fact that Tickler remained on sale through Morrisons’ delis reflected its “strong sales from this f­ixture”.

Sanderson added that Milk Link had recently won a contract to supply all of Morrisons’ own-label lighter cheese, which he said meant the company would be supplying Morrisons with “more cheese than ever before”.

Pilgrims Choice was unavailable for comment.

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