Often referred to as the king of British blue cheeses Colston Bassett Stilton is the last remaining Stilton cheese to be hand ladled from the vats into the cylindrical moulds by the truly dedicated cheesemakers at Colston Bassett Dairies in Nottinghamshire
After arriving daily from local farms within 1.5 mile radius of the dairy the milk is pasteurised to kill harmful bacteria, then cooled before going into the cheese vats. Once in the vat, starter and blue mould culture (Penicillium Roqueforti) are added, then rennet is added in order to set the milk. After setting, the curd is cut up. The cut curds then settle to the bottom of the vat and the whey separates to the top. In the afternoon the whey is drained off leaving an exposed mat of curd. This is then ladled by hand from the vats into curd trays at the side.
Here it remains until the following morning, when it is milled, salted, mixed thoroughly by hand, and placed into hoops (or cheese moulds). The process thus far has taken 24 hours. The curd then drains in the hoop under its own weight for 5 days. The hoops are turned over daily to facilitate drainage and ensure that the moisture runs though the cheese rather than collect at the bottom.
In the maturing stores the cheeses are turned regularly until they are sold. As the cheese age they are pierced using a piercing machine. This pushes stainless steel needles into the cheese all around its circumference. Once the air enters the holes, the Penicillium Roqueforti, which has thus far been dormant, can now start to grow, forming the typical veins associated with Stilton cheese.
After maturing every cheese is grading prior to sale. A cheese iron is used to bore into the cheese and remove a core of cheese, which can be assessed for level of blue veining; smell and most importantly the flavour can be checked. This is done to every cheese because only when a cheese reaches the required standard can it be called Stilton cheese. Its taste is slightly spicy and sweet with a creamy undertone and long lasting flavour.
