Cheese rolling event: Stilton’s coming home!
Cheese rolling at Stilton 2011: Susie Pee from the Stamford Cheese seller shop with a full size stilton cheese. Picture: David Lowndes/Peterborough ET (METP-02-05-11DL105)
AS thousands of people poured into the village of Stilton on Bank Holiday Monday to enjoy its famous cheese rolling races, organisers bowled them over with a dramatic announcement.
For a bid is to be made to the European Union for the right to produce the distinctive Stilton cheese – in Stilton.
A ban on making the cheese in the village has been in place for the last 15 years.
That was when the Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association obtained a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) stating that the village’s name could only be used on cheese produced in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Historian Richard Landy said: “In the next few weeks, campaigners have to fill in forms to be sent off to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to allow Stilton production in the village.
“That request will then be put out to public consultation before being sent over to the European Union.”
If successful, it means Stilton will be included in the protected area allowed to produce the cheese and also to call it Stilton cheese.
With the welcome news of the bid still ringing in their ears, the spectators at the 52nd annual Cheese Rolling Festival cheered on the competitors in the various races.
The fancy-dressed clad teams went all out to cream the opposition as they sped their “cheeses” down the historic High Street in front of its ancient Bell and Angel coaching inns.
Organiser Carol Warren said the scorching temperatures had helped make the event another huge success.
She said: “Everyone who visits always asks where the cheese is made so it shows that Stilton should be at the heart of the cheese making and it is the spiritual home.
”There are a lot of historic events in the country but I think this has to be the most fun.”
Entertainment on the day was provided by the master of ceremonies, Yaxley-based Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, who kept the crowd entertained in May heat.
Afterwards, Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said he was delighted at the announcement of the bid to fight the ban on Stilton production.
“It’s only right the village should be allowed to produce the popular cheese which originated here.
“It’s part of our local heritage and worth fighting for.”
Factfile: Stilton Cheese
• It takes 136 pints milk (78 litres) to make one 17 lb (8kg) Stilton cheese
• Over 1 million Stilton cheeses are made each year
• White Stilton is also a protected and is made in a similar way to its blue cousin – except that no mould spores are added and the cheese is sold at about 4 weeks of age.
• It is a crumbly, creamy, open textured cheese and is now extensively used as a base for blending with apricot, ginger or vine fruits to create unique desserts
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Weather for Peterborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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secret_Agent
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 02:27 PM4 actually
tomoelloco64
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 02:31 PMHaha, can't believe it takes 3 people to roll cheese down a road!
DonB
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 12:54 PMIf the health and safety gestapo appear, set the dogs on them.
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