THE STORY OF STICHELTON

In 1995, two gourmets set up a small cheese farm on the edge of Sherwood Forest to revive an ancient cheese recipe.

The two men were Randolph Hodgson of Neal's Yard Dairy and cheesemaker Joe Schneider, and the recipe in question was the original Stilton cheese as it had been made hundreds of years before the European Commission's PDO designation.

Joe and Randolph's recipe uses only raw milk and only animal rennet to make the cheese. Modern Stilton can only be made with pasteurized milk. Raw milk provides the cheese with a richer and more nuanced culture, which also comes through in the cheese's flavor.

The name Stichelton comes from the form of the name of the village of Stilton in the Domesday Book of 1086 (Stichiltone/Sticiltone). The cheesemaking follows tradition in another way: the curds are separated from the whey by hand.

On the palate, Stichelton is like a magnificent old gentleman, with a strong flavour that has no pungency at all, but a perfect balance between salty, fruity and earthy. Stichelton is also Peter's favourite cheese, and it is now also enjoyed at Palace Restaurant, among others!