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Stilton curd claim cheese after all
CHEDDAR is made in Cheddar, double Gloucester comes from Gloucester but can the village of Stilton lay claim to one of Britain's greatest cheeses?
CHEDDAR is made in Cheddar, double Gloucester comes from Gloucester but can the village of Stilton lay claim to one of Britain's greatest cheeses?It has long been accepted that Stilton cheese may never have been made in the Peterborough village of Stilton.
Legend has always had it that Stilton was originally made miles away in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, when it was first brought to Stilton in the 1700s and sold to hungry travellers in passing stagecoaches.
But today that view is being challenged .
Local historian Richard Landy, who has carried out extensive research into traditional belief that the cheese has its origins elsewhere, believes history could soon be re-written after discovering a letter written in the 17th century which contained the recipe, which he says proves it was originally made in the village.
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Stilton cheese is protected by EU legislation, with only seven dairies in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire licensed to make the product.
However, Mr Landy plans to challenge the East Midlands' exclusive right to produce Stilton cheese following his latest discovery.
He said: "This letter specifically states that Stilton was produced in the village, that the man at the sign of the Bell made the best cheese to be had in town and the man of that house kept strictly to the old recipe.
"From that we can determine that this is the earliest reference to Stilton cheese being made in the village and it also provides a recipe.
"Why should the village of Stilton be denied the right of calling a cheese by the name of the place where it was originally produced and made famous?"
The recent revelations, combined with the discovery of a third century cheese mould by an amateur archaeologist in March 2006, have had residents believing their village could actually live up to its name.
Shop assistant at Browns of Stilton, in Church Street, which specialises in Stilton cheese, Jane Lane said: "It would be really great for everyone in the village if we were able to say Stilton cheese is officially named after the village – as, after all, that is what most people assume.
"It would also be great for businesses like ours and the Bell Inn, which use Stilton in many of its recipes.
"We have always told the story that the daughter of the landlord at the Bell Inn married a cheese maker from Leicester and they used to make and sell it at the pub.
However, Stilton expert Trevor Hickman said the recipe was for a pressed cheese, whereas Stilton is not made in a press.
"This is a recipe that has survived that the landlord of the Bell Inn at Stilton held and it was how you made a cheese in Stilton.
"But this was for a pressed cheese whereas Stilton is not a pressed cheese."
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