Call yourself a Turophile? – Prove it and head to Welbeck

3 October 2007

True turophiles. or cheeselovers, as they are more commonly known, should head for Nottinghamshire, if they wish to sample Stichelton, the most talked about cheese in Britain.

How far will you go to taste the first organic raw milk cheese since the late 1960s is the question posed to anyone calling themselves a food lover, as the Welbeck Farm Shop, on the Welbeck Estate, in Nottinghamshire, prepares to showcase a cheese lovingly created on its own land.

Between October 6-7, during British Cheese Week, visitors to the farm shop, located close to Worksop, will be given the opportunity to taste a cheese with a limited production and the true desirability factor. They can also hear how this fabulous cheese is made, thanks to talks by its inspirational producer.

Acclaimed by leading critics, including Tom Parker-Bowles, this King of cheeses will be enjoyed by discerning shoppers long before leading delicatessens can get their hands on it, or restaurateurs boast its presence on their menu. So far, only Rick Stein has managed this feat.

Stichelton is the brainchild of passionate cheesemaker, Joe Schneider, and the legend that is Randolph Hodgson, founder of the acclaimed Neal’s Yard Dairy. It is a classic, blue cheese made from the unpasteurised milk Stilton producers are not allowed to utilise.

Stichelton is effectively Stilton as it used to be, with a creamy, lactic taste, gentle yet full flavour, buttery texture and a complex and rich composition. Named after the Saxon name for the town of Stilton, it is a blast from the past, based on unpasteurised, organic milk and animal rennet – the ingredients that would traditionally have been the hallmark of a Stilton.

It is perfection, born of imperfection. It is a raw milk, farmhouse product, frequently turned, bumped and cracked, this process allowing oxygen to flow into openings, assisted through spiking, to start a blooming process encouraging mould growth.

Stichelton production is strictly controlled, at 36 tons a year produced, making it a prestige product. It uses a very small quantity of rennet and a very small amount of starter. Acidification is slow and the curd delicate. Ladling by hand transfers the curd into a trolley, where it is milled and salted on the morning after it has set.

The milk used in Stichelton production comes from Welbeck Estate’s 150 strong herd of Friesian-Holstein cows – one of the oldest in the country. The milk is piped straight from the milking parlour to Joe Schneider’s cheese rooms, on the Estate.

These rooms are part of the Stichelton Dairy, at Collingthwaite Farm, on the northern borders of Sherwood Forest. Collingthwaite farms organically and its herdsmen pay careful attention to the milking and feeding process producing the best milk for the job.

Stichelton is not a pressed cheese, but one that sits in hoops in a hastener – a warm room – for five days. Hoops are then removed, before a smoothing by hand process, known as rubbing up, occurs.

As for taste, Stichelton knows no equal in its field. It is lighter and less dense than Stilton, having the more complex flavour, of a rich cheese with a real blue kick. Balanced and slightly spicy, it has wonderful blue mould and a both nutty, yet apple-flavoured taste, with nutty undertones.

Stichelton is quite simply the must-have cheese on the Christmas cheeseboard – the wow factor that will make any dinner party talked about for months to come.

To become one of the first devotees of Stichelton, simply head to Welbeck Farm Shop for its British Cheese Week celebrations. Showcasing the Stichelton on October 6 and 7, with talks by Joe Schneider at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, on the Saturday, is the farm shop’s way of celebrating its own true food hero. For foodies, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.