Stichelton
Encyclopedia
Stichelton is an English blue cheese
. It is similar to Blue Stilton cheese, except that it does not use pasteurise
d milk or factory
produced rennet
. Randolph Hodgson of Neal's Yard Dairy
and American Joe Schneider produce Stichelton in small batches in a dairy on the northern edge of Sherwood Forest
, Nottinghamshire
. They use raw milk
, rennet from calves' stomachs and hand-ladling
and smoothing. The name comes from the original name of Stilton
village in William the Conqueror's 1086 Domesday Book
(Stichiltone/Sticiltone), as the name Stilton cannot legally be used for the cheese.
dairy did make one Stilton with unpasteurised milk
. However, following a Listeria health scare, they decided to end production of this particular cheese, and in 1996, the decision was permanently enshrined when Stilton was awarded Protected Designation of Origin
status by the EU, with one of the conditions being the use of pasteurised milk. However, the bacteria for making the cheese were not destroyed. In the early 1990s, a trend for unpasteurised cheeses encouraged an independent dairy to use the bacteria to start making a new cheese. Unable to be described as a Stilton, the cheese was named Stichelton, which its makers say was based on the original name of the village of Stilton (the spelling Stichelton appears in the 13th century Lincoln Rolls). The first Stichelton cheese was produced in October 2006.
magazine described it as a "sumptuous cheese that sets a full-flavored, succulent, complex chain of sensations going in your mouth: fruity and salty, buttery, and earthy, sharp and creamy. Robin Hood
never had it so good."
Blue cheese
Blue cheese is a general classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold, and carries a distinct smell, either from that or...
. It is similar to Blue Stilton cheese, except that it does not use pasteurise
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
d milk or factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
produced rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
. Randolph Hodgson of Neal's Yard Dairy
Neal's Yard Dairy
Neal's Yard Dairy is a London artisanal cheese retailer and cheesemaker, described as "London's foremost cheese store." The store is considered as a forerunner of the British wholefood movement and an important part of the revival of London's Covent Garden district.Founded in 1979 by Nick Saunders...
and American Joe Schneider produce Stichelton in small batches in a dairy on the northern edge of Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. They use raw milk
Raw milk
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.-History:Humans consumed raw milk exclusively prior to the industrial revolution and the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. During the industrial revolution large populations congregated into urban areas detached from the...
, rennet from calves' stomachs and hand-ladling
Ladle (spoon)
A ladle is a type of spoon used to scoop up and serve soup, stew, or other foods. Although designs vary, a typical ladle has a long handle terminating in a deep bowl, frequently with the bowl oriented at an angle to the handle to facilitate lifting liquid out of a pot or other vessel and conveying...
and smoothing. The name comes from the original name of Stilton
Stilton
Stilton is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, and within the historic county boundary of Huntingdonshire.-Geography:Stilton lies south of the city of Peterborough. It lies on the old Great North Road, from London and was an important coaching stop in the days before motorised transport. It...
village in William the Conqueror's 1086 Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(Stichiltone/Sticiltone), as the name Stilton cannot legally be used for the cheese.
History
Although most Stilton cheeses have been made with pasteurised milk for many years, until 1989 the Colston BassettColston Bassett
Colston Bassett is a small picturesque village in the Vale of Belvoir in the south-east of Nottinghamshire close to its border with Leicestershire...
dairy did make one Stilton with unpasteurised milk
Raw milk
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.-History:Humans consumed raw milk exclusively prior to the industrial revolution and the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. During the industrial revolution large populations congregated into urban areas detached from the...
. However, following a Listeria health scare, they decided to end production of this particular cheese, and in 1996, the decision was permanently enshrined when Stilton was awarded Protected Designation of Origin
Protected designation of origin
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
status by the EU, with one of the conditions being the use of pasteurised milk. However, the bacteria for making the cheese were not destroyed. In the early 1990s, a trend for unpasteurised cheeses encouraged an independent dairy to use the bacteria to start making a new cheese. Unable to be described as a Stilton, the cheese was named Stichelton, which its makers say was based on the original name of the village of Stilton (the spelling Stichelton appears in the 13th century Lincoln Rolls). The first Stichelton cheese was produced in October 2006.
Manufacture
Stichelton is made in a dairy, from the unpasteurised milk of Friesian-Holstein cows at Collinthwaite Farm, on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire. ForbesLifeForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine described it as a "sumptuous cheese that sets a full-flavored, succulent, complex chain of sensations going in your mouth: fruity and salty, buttery, and earthy, sharp and creamy. Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
never had it so good."