Artisan Red Leicester Cheese

Originally known as Leicestershire cheese, Red Leicester is a traditional hard cheese made from unpasteurised cow’s milk.  The cheese can be traced back to the 17th century and the style was much influenced by cheesemaking practices in other parts of England – most notably the South West and North West.  Most of the cheese from the county was traded in the town of Leicester.  So important did this become that a cheese market was established in the city in 1759 and rules and regulations put in place to determine quality.  The importance of this market almost certainly led to the alternative name for this cheese coming into use, even though there was little if any cheese made in the boundaries of the City of Leicester.  Henceforth the cheese became known as Leicester cheese.  To maintain the high standards that were expected within the market a town crier was employed to read the punishments for anybody found trying to pass off inferior cheese.  Production of the cheese shifted to other parts of the UK as cheese making on farms all but disappeared in the county and most was made by larger creameries in a block form.

There is only a single farm in Leicestershire that still makes Red Leicester to a traditional recipe using raw milk.

The cheese is traditionally made in large flat wheels of 10kgs and 20kgs.  This is because 20kgs was a standard day’s milk from a small farm.  A good Red Leicester has a firm body and a close, flaky texture.  The flavour is delicately sweet.  The cheese can be eaten young, but is should ideally be left to mature for six to nine months. The traditionally made wheels tend to be firmer and drier but have a friable texture and a slightly sweet mellow, almost caramel flavour that becomes stronger as the cheeese matures.

During maturation the cheese is bound in cloth.  A substantially lighter cloth than normally is commonly used, contributing to its unique flavour.  The bright orange-red rind  has find, powdery moulds.  The distinctive colour is a result of annatto, a vegetable dye.  This was used to dye the cheese in order to set it apart from other county cheeses such as Cheddar.  The red colour market it out as a high quality cheese as it suggested the use of milk that had a high cream content.  Milk produced from cows that grazed on rich grass contributed to the excellence of the cheese making. The cheese was often made in conjunction with Stilton, due to the differing maturation periods.  This allowed a steadier flow of income for the cheese makers.