Tell us a bit about Stichelton and how it started:
The idea of Stichelton started in 2004 over a pint in a pub under a railway arch in Borough Market with Randolph Hodgson. Neals Yard Dairy used to sell raw milk Stilton up until 1988 when it became extinct. Randolph wanted to resurrect traditional farmhouse raw milk Stilton, so we embarked on a search for a farm to work with in the Stilton PDO geographical area. We found Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire and converted a 250-year-old barn into our dairy and made the first batch of Stichelton in 2006.
What does a typical day at Stichelton involve?
Running the warm morning milk into the vat around 7am, the starter and rennet are added by 9am, at which time, like every other cheesemaker in the world, we have our breakfast. The ladling of the curd happens in the afternoon, then we go home leaving the soft curd safely blanketed in whey until the next morning when it is drained. We then mill and salt the curd into the hoops. We do this over and over again. And washing. 90% of our job is cleaning, very glamorous.
What makes Stichelton different?
Stichelton is the first attempt to reproduce the most traditional of English blue cheeses in its original form on a farm, using raw milk from a single herd. It is also, unlike PDO Stilton, conspicuously devoid of walnuts, cranberries, apricots, pineapple, or banana.
At Peter’s Yard, our ethos is all about taking time for the simple pleasures in life – tell us, what are your favourite pastimes?
I am in mid-life and have eschewed the conventional routes of mistress or sports car to combat a mid-life crisis and have wholly embraced the new male mid-life crisis activity of slow roasting meat on an outrageously expensive BBQ.
How do you enjoy Peter’s Yard?
Ripe Stichelton atop a Peter’s Yard Sourdough Flatbread, in the dark, when nobody is home.
What do you love about Peter’s Yard products?
The whole secret of Stichelton is the courage to allow time to be the main ingredient. Coaxing milk to reveal all the nuances of its character concentrated into a piece of perfect cheese requires time. I think Peter’s Yard shares this dedication to the role of time in making truly delicious and evocative food.
Finally, what’s planned for next year at Stichelton?
Nothing. Cheese is like a mistress, one is enough.