Frederic Melton
Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the English counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire since 1913. It is made from pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms. 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.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | The Midlands of England |
| Counties | Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire |
| Village | Stilton, Cambridgeshire |
| Milk | Pasteurised |
| Milk source | Local farms |
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What You'll Learn
- Stilton is a traditional blue cheese made in the midlands of England since 1913
- It is made from pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms
- To be labelled as 'Blue Stilton' in the EU, it must be made in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire
- The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but cannot be made
- Cropwell Bishop, based in Nottinghamshire, has been making Blue Stilton since 1948
Stilton is a traditional blue cheese made in the midlands of England since 1913
To be labelled as "Blue Stilton" in the EU, a cheese must be made specifically in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire. It must also use exclusively locally produced and pasteurised milk. Stilton is made using pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms. The process starts by adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces and stirred gently. They are further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture.
Stilton is 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. The PDO currently protects two versions of Stilton, the famous blue and also a lesser-known white version. As a matter of fact, both cheeses are made using the same recipe. But with the white version, Penicillium roqueforti is not introduced during the production and the wheels are not pierced.
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It is made from pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms
Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the midlands of England since 1913. Initially, producers used local raw cow's milk to make this medium-strength blue cheese. However, after a health scare in the late 1980s, they adapted their procedures to use pasteurised milk instead. The Stilton PDO now restricts the recipe to only pasteurised milk.
Stilton is made using pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms. The process starts by adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces and stirred gently. They are further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture.
To be labelled as "Blue Stilton" in the EU, a cheese must be made specifically in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire, and use exclusively locally produced and pasteurised milk. Stilton 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.
Cropwell Bishop, based in Nottinghamshire, has been making Blue Stilton since 1948. Hartington Creamery, the only Stilton producer currently based in Derbyshire, made its first cheese at Pikehall Farm in the Derbyshire Dales in 2012.
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To be labelled as 'Blue Stilton' in the EU, it must be made in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire
Blue Stilton is a traditional English cheese that has been made in the Midlands since 1913. It is a semi-soft, pasteurised cow's milk cheese that undergoes a unique ageing process.
To be labelled as Blue Stilton in the EU, it must be made in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or 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 the village is not in one of the three permitted counties.
The cheese was first made in Leicestershire in the 1720s by Frances Pawlett (or Paulet), a cheesemaker from Wymondham. There are now six dairies in the three permitted counties that make Blue Stilton. These include Cropwell Bishop in Nottinghamshire, which has been making Blue Stilton since 1948, and Hartington Creamery in Derbyshire, which was revived in 2012 and made its first cheese at Pikehall Farm in the Derbyshire Dales.
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The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but cannot be made
Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the English Midlands since 1913. It is made from pasteurised cow's milk sourced from local farms in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
The cheese is made by adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces and stirred gently. They are further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture.
Frances Pawlett (or Paulet), a cheesemaker of Wymondham, Leicestershire, has traditionally been credited with setting up the modern Stilton cheese shape and style in the 1720s, but others have also been named.
The PDO currently protects two versions of Stilton, the famous blue and also a lesser-known white version. Both have been granted the status of a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Commission.
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Cropwell Bishop, based in Nottinghamshire, has been making Blue Stilton since 1948
Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the midlands of England since 1913. It is made from pasteurised cow's milk, sourced from local farms. The process starts by adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces and stirred gently. They are further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture.
To be labelled as "Blue Stilton" in the EU, a cheese must be made specifically in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire or 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.
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Frequently asked questions
Stilton blue cheese is made in the midlands of England, specifically in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
Stilton blue cheese has been made since 1913. Initially, producers used local raw cow's milk, but after a health scare in the late 1980s, they switched to using pasteurised milk.
The process starts by adding rennet and cheese cultures to the milk, creating curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces and stirred gently. They are further drained and pressed to remove excess moisture.
