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One of the glories of the craft of English Cheese-making is Stilton, "King of English Cheese".

Blue Stilton depends for its distinction on a delicate balance of flavour and aroma and is matured naturally. The blue veining is part of this natural process.

This unique cheese has long been appreciated by connoisseurs the world over. It now ranks as one of England's great exports. There are several legends as to the origin of this famous cheese which, tradition has it, was made by Mrs Paulet, a farmer's wife in Wymondham, just south of Melton Mowbray. Her brother-in-law, Cooper Thornhill, of the Bell Inn, Stilton in Huntingdonshire served the cheese to those travelling on the Great North Road and its fame began to spread. Indeed Daniel Defoe remarked on it in his "Tour through England and Wales" in 1727 saying that he "passed through Stilton, a town famous for cheese".

Stilton has been made in the Vale of Belvoir for generations and also in the Dove Valley of Derbyshire. The art of making Stilton was handed down in local families for generations. In Blue Stilton, a mould belonging- to the penicillin type is allowed to grow naturally in the cheese, which once took eighteen months to mature. White Stilton is sold young, before the blue veining has had time to develop. It is usually marketed up to twenty days after manufacture. This (immature) cheese lacks the characteristic- firm rough coat of the Blue Stilton.

For well over three hundred years Stilton was made in farmhouses. Then just before the first World War the farmers producing it decided methods and conditions would have to be improved. Small dairy companies were formed and eventually the Stilton Cheese Makers' Association, in which is vested the Stilton copyright, came into being. Modern dairy methods were evolved, including the control of temperature and humidity. Stilton is now permitted to be made only in the three counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and Melton Mowbray may be regarded as the centre of the industry.

But the making of Stilton still demands a great deal of almost loving hand work. Care, coupled with advanced scientific knowledge, now allows us to enjoy an even finer quality Stilton - all the year round.

How Stilton is Made

Seventeen gallons of milk, years of experience and up to four months' careful attention go into each prime Stilton. At present it is not made by really large scale factory methods and only a handful of people know the full process for making Stilton. Each cheese is still handled individually by craftsmen.
Fresh milk arrives daily from the surrounding countryside - just over a gallon for every pound of cheese. It is poured into vats where a starter culture and rennet are added. Curds form from the milk solids and after an hour or so are cut and laid in troughs to allow the liquid whey to drain off overnight. The curds are then milled, weighed and salted and placed in stainless steel cylinders for about a week. No pressure is applied to the cheese during the moulding.

At this stage the cheese weighs about 25 lb. Further draining and maturing reduces it to its traditional weight of 16 lb. The cheese hoops stand on individual wooden boards on draining shelves. When the hoops are removed each cheese is smoothed down by hand then, wrapped in clean muslin, is returned to the hoop for two more days.

Then the muslin is removed and the cheese is taken to the coating room. Here temperature and humidity are strictly regulated and the characteristic golden-red coat develops. Each cheese is turned every day to make certain it has an even texture throughout and is eventually moved into the ripening room to mature for at least three months.

It is at this point that the famous blue veins appear. The process is natural and is promoted by allowing the oxygen present in the atmosphere to enter the cheese through pierced holes made with stainless steel needles.

Towards the end of the ripening period, the cheese is bored with a cheese iron, which withdraws a pencil thickness of cheese. By this means the maker can estimate the quality and extent of ripeness, texture and flavour. Good Stilton is creamy white in colour, with blue veins radiating from the centre, evenly distributed throughout the cheese. When fully matured, Stilton has a mild rich flavour and a velvety flaky texture.

How to cut and serve Stilton

How do you serve your Stilton? Insult it by scooping bits out of the middle with a spoon or scoop, leaving the outside edge to get dry and hard? Or pour port wine over it ruining two good products in one operation? 

In the Vale of Belvoir they have a saying - 'Cut high, cut low, cut level'. By this method a half cheese weighing 7-8 lb will produce very little waste whereas using a scoop, one obtains probably not more than 3 lb of really good cheese. In the districts where people know and appreciate good Stilton, it is very seldom that one sees a scoop used. The knife is always drawn across the surface of the half cheese, leaving it, if possible, even more level than before. 

Port, is indeed the drink to enhance Stilton after dinner. But remember, you can also enjoy your Stilton with crusty bread, fresh English butter and a glass of cool beer or milk.

Storing Stilton Well.

Stilton can be bought in various packs and sizes to suit all needs, domestic, retail and catering. It can be deep frozen most successfully and is exported all over the world. The correct way to keep a half cheese is to cover it with a cloth and keep it at a temperature of about 45°F-50°F.

A cheese which has been allowed to go dry should be covered with a cloth which has been damped with brine (4 oz common salt in one pint of water).

Wedges and other convenient sizes can be successfully stored, well wrapped in plastic or foil in the family refrigerator. The cheese should, however, be allowed several hours to regain room temperature, loosened from its wrappings, before it is to be eaten. Full flavour will then develop and you will enjoy it just as it should be.

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Copyright © 2000 Harby Limited, All rights reserved.
Revised: May 06, 2004 .