I'm not sure your comment about swapping out the cheese for foam is true. I did the roll a few years back (in fact I'm sorta in the Netflix We Are The Champions episode about it). The cheese is basically wrapped in a wooden wheel, and let loose.

Best I can find is that in 2013 [1] it was swapped for foam. But I don't think they continued that decision.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/may/27/gloucestershire-c...