Blur bassist Alex James has signed a deal to begin making “the poshest cheese in the world” for the Prince of Wales.

James, 40, will create the cheese from organic milk obtained from a pedigree herd in Ayrshire.

It will be available through the Prince of Wales' Duchy of Cornwall estate priced £3.

“I think everyone should be able to afford royal cheese," James told The Times newspaper.

A spokesman for the Prince of Wales said: "Duchy Originals is delighted to be working with Alex James, one of Britain's most exciting and passionate new cheese makers, to produce a cheese using the milk form the herd of Ayrshire cows on the Duchy Home Farm."

James, who lives on a farm in Oxfordshire, turned to cheese-making after the release of Blur's last album 'Think Tank' in 2003.

In November 2008, the bassist's first matured cheese, Little Wallop, was awarded a silver at the Cheese of the Year awards

James is also working on a new cheese, Blue Monday, which is named after the New Order track of the same name.

The bassist joined the rest of his Blur bandmates back on the road this summer for the Britpop group's reunion tour.

(by Jason Gregory)