Food Gift Hamper

The brief history of stilton cheese Contrary to popular belief, Stilton cheese has never been made in the town of Stilton. Stilton is a town just outside of the city of London and was primarily used as a staging post for travellers; it was one of the owners of a hostel in a nearby town which first introduced a soft creamy blue veined cheese which then went on to take the name of the nearby town of Stilton. The entrepreneur had bought the cheese from a farmer’s wife in a nearby town of Melton Mowbray and this is where Stilton originated. Interesting facts on figures about Stilton: • There are only 7 dairies throughout the word that are licensed to produce Stilton cheese. • Stilton cheese can only be produced in three counties; these are Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Because the name “Stilton” is protected by law. • In order to make a 17lb Stilton cheese it takes a whopping 136 pints of fresh milk. • Over a one-year period there are over 1 million Stilton cheeses made. • 10% of all Stilton cheese made is exported to over 40 countries throughout the world. • Before leaving the dairy all cheese with the Stilton brand name receives a grade to ensure only the highest quality cheeses leave. •White Stilton is also a protected name cheese and is made in a similar way to its blue cousin – except that no mould spores are added and the cheese would be sold at about 4 weeks of age. It is a crumbly, creamy, open textures cheese and is now extensively used as a base for blending with apricot, ginger and citrus or vine fruits to create unique dessert cheeses. To be called Stilton, each cheese must: • Be made only in the three counties from local milk which is pasteurized before use • Be made only in a traditional cylindrical shape • Be allowed to form its own crust or coat • Be un-pressed • Have delicate blue veins radiating from the centre

Port and stilton have always traditionally gone well together, however it is the blue stilton that is traditionally eaten with a dark ruby port. Blue stilton is very often accompanied by a wide variety of biscuits and crackers but to make a change then it can be eaten along with celery or even added to cream of celery soup. White stilton lacks the traditional blue veins commonly associated with Stilton cheese and is often served with fruitcake, chocolate sweets or combined with dried fruit.

Milk, milk and yet more milk is pasteurised and then added to huge cheese vats, blue mould culture with the fancy name of Penicillium roqueforti is then added to the vats along with a vegetarian rennet to set the milk. Once a curd has formed then it is cut which allows the curd to settle to the bottom and the whey to the top. The next day the curd is cut into blocks and allowed to drain before salt is added along with a cylindrical hoop, with more drainage-taking place over the next 5 days, this allows for moisture to distribute evenly. The hoop is removed and the cheese is sealed and allowed to ripen until around 5 weeks when it begins to crust, at this stage it can be pierced with stainless steel needles which allows air to enter and thus creates the traditional blue veining the cheese is famous for.

• There are only 7 dairies throughout the word that are licensed to produce Stilton cheese.
• Stilton cheese can only be produced in three counties; these are Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Because the name Stilton is protected by law.
• In order to make a 17lb Stilton cheese it takes a whopping 136 pints of fresh milk.
• Over a one-year period there are over 1 million Stilton cheeses made.
• 10% of all Stilton cheese made is exported to over 40 countries throughout the world.
• Before leaving the dairy all cheese with the Stilton brand name receives a grade to ensure only the highest quality cheeses leave.

 Contrary to popular belief, Stilton cheese has never been made in the town of Stilton. Stilton is a town just outside of the city of London and was primarily used as a staging post for travellers; it was one of the owners of a hostel  in a nearby town which first introduced a soft creamy blue veined cheese which then went on to take the name of the nearby town of Stilton. The entrepreneur had bought the cheese from a farmers wife in a nearby town of Melton Mowbray and this is where Stilton originated.