Raw milk, Stilton-recipe blue cheese had been extinct for 18 years until Joe Schneider began making it at Stichelton Dairy in 2006.
Location
Welbeck, Nottinghamshire
Our work with this cheese
As cheesemongers we aim to develop our understanding of farmhouse cheesemaking and explore traditional British cheesemaking recipes. Joe Schneider and our founding director Randolph Hodgson set out to make raw milk Stilton and Stichelton was born. Joe uses only milk from the morning milking, very little starter and a very long make, 24 hours, allowing the natural flora in the milk to bring out the flavours. The curds are hand ladled, which gives a more delicate texture. Similar care is taken with maturing. Perhaps most importantly, each cheese is tested for ripeness before it leaves the maturing room. There can be a great deal of variation in how the cheese tastes from batch to batch and seasonal variation is a factor too.
While raw milk is certainly a factor in the flavour of Stichelton, the way the cheese is made allows for the flavours of the milk to be expressed. Find out more about what makes this cheese so special.