Patrick Oconnell
Stilton is an English cheese that takes its name from the village of Stilton, Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold. However, due to strict geographical borders, it cannot be made there. Instead, it is produced in three counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire |
| Village name | Stilton, Cambridgeshire |
| Dairy | Long Clawson |
| Dairy location | Hartington |
| Dairy acquired | 2008 |
| Dairy closed | 2009 |
| Dairy transferred to | Leicestershire |
| Licensed dairies | 6 |
| Licensed dairies in Leicestershire | 3 |
| Licensed dairies in Nottinghamshire | 2 |
| Licensed dairies in Derbyshire | 1 |
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What You'll Learn
- Stilton cheese can only be made in three counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire
- The village of Stilton, where the cheese gets its name, is not in one of the three permitted counties
- Stilton cheese has been made in Derbyshire since 1900
- Stilton cheese is protected by law under the EU and UK
- There are only six dairies licensed to make Stilton
Stilton cheese can only be made in three counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire
The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but cannot be made because it is not in one of the three permitted counties. Stilton cheese has been made in Derbyshire since 1900, originally at Hartington. The former Dairy Crest-owned licensed dairy that produced the product at Hartington was acquired by the Long Clawson dairy in 2008 and closed in 2009, with its production transferred to Leicestershire.
As of March 2021, Hartington Stilton was marketing within the UK but also exporting to the US and to the EU; it had just started exporting to Canada. By September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton – three in Leicestershire, two in Nottinghamshire, and one in Derbyshire – each being subject to regular audit by an independent inspection agency accredited to European Standard EN 45011. Four of the licensed dairies are based in the Vale of Belvoir, which straddles the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire/Lincolnshire borders.
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The village of Stilton, where the cheese gets its name, is not in one of the three permitted counties
Stilton cheese has been made in Derbyshire since 1900, originally at Hartington. The former Dairy Crest-owned licensed dairy that produced the product at Hartington was acquired by the Long Clawson dairy in 2008 and closed in 2009, with its production transferred to Leicestershire. Two former employees set up the Hartington Creamery at Pikehall in Hartington parish, which was licensed in 2014. Three additional partners soon joined them and this business is the smallest of the six companies licensed to make Stilton.
Manufacturers of Stilton in these counties received protection under European Law as a protected designation of origin (PDO) in 1996. The cheese remains protected by its PDO even after Brexit, under EU law (in the EU and Northern Ireland) and under UK law (England, Scotland and Wales). By September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton – three in Leicestershire, two in Nottinghamshire, and one in Derbyshire – each being subject to regular audit by an independent inspection agency accredited to European Standard EN 45011. Four of the licensed dairies are based in the Vale of Belvoir, which straddles the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire/Lincolnshire borders.
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Stilton cheese has been made in Derbyshire since 1900
Stilton is an English cheese, produced in two varieties: blue, which has Penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste, and white, which does not. Both have been granted the status of a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Commission, requiring that only such cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire may be called Stilton. The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but cannot be made because it is not in one of the three permitted counties.
Manufacturers of Stilton in these counties received protection under European Law as a protected designation of origin (PDO) in 1996. The cheese remains protected by its PDO even after Brexit, under EU law (in the EU and Northern Ireland) and under UK law (England, Scotland and Wales). By September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton – three in Leicestershire, two in Nottinghamshire, and one in Derbyshire – each being subject to regular audit by an independent inspection agency accredited to European Standard EN 45011. Four of the licensed dairies are based in the Vale of Belvoir, which straddles the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire/Lincolnshire borders.
As its popularity grew, Stilton cheese started to be made in the surrounding areas. Today, Stilton production has strict geographical borders and is confined to three counties in England. Ironically, as the village of Stilton falls outside of the county's borders, there can't be any cheese made in Stilton called Stilton.
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Stilton cheese is protected by law under the EU and UK
Stilton cheese has been made in Derbyshire since 1900, originally at Hartington. The former Dairy Crest-owned licensed dairy that produced the product at Hartington was acquired by the Long Clawson dairy in 2008 and closed in 2009, with its production transferred to Leicestershire. By September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton – three in Leicestershire, two in Nottinghamshire, and one in Derbyshire.
The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but cannot be made because it is not in one of the three permitted counties.
Stilton is an English cheese, produced in two varieties: blue, which has Penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste, and white, which does not.
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There are only six dairies licensed to make Stilton
Stilton cheese is an English cheese that can only be made in three counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, but it cannot be made there because it is not in one of the three permitted counties.
Stilton has been granted the status of a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Commission, which means that only cheese produced in the three permitted counties can be called Stilton. Manufacturers of Stilton in these counties received protection under European Law as a PDO in 1996, and this protection remains in place after Brexit.
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Frequently asked questions
Stilton cheese is made in the English counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but it cannot be made there because it is not in one of the three permitted counties.
As of September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton.
The names of the dairies that make Stilton cheese include Colston Bassett Dairy and Hartington Creamery.
