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18/02/04 - Key Dates In The History Of Stilton

1600s Unpressed cream cheese with blue veins being produced in farmhouse dairies in the Wymondham area near Melton Mowbray

Stilton type cheese in different styles and sizes from various sources on sale at inns in the town of Stilton - an important trading post on the Great North Road between London and Edinburgh

1722 First published reference to Stilton cheese in William Stukeley’s “Itinerarium Curiosum” letter V. October 1722 T

1727 Daniel Defoe writing in his “Tour through England & Wales, wrote that he “? passed through Stilton, a town famous for cheese”.

1738 Two lines of verse from Pope’s Satire VI, “Imitation of Horace” praised the quality of Stilton in his verse:

“Cheese such as men in Suffolk make

But wished it Stilton for his sake”

1742 William and Frances Pawlett established a business supplying Stilton cheese to the town of Stilton. They supplied their own cheese, made by Frances, and also selected cheese from other local suppliers and arranged for its transport to Stilton. Their main customer was an East Midland’s entrepreneur, Cooper Thornhill, owner of The Bell Inn. The cheese was sold for trade in London as well as consumption on the road.

There is no evidence that Stilton was ever produced in the Stilton area - all the product came from farmhouse dairies around Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.

The golden age of the town of Stilton as a trading centre and staging post lasted almost 100 years. Huge quantities of cheese moved up and down the Great North Road - this lasted until the introduction of the railways.

1840 The Midland Railway Company connected Peterborough with London and the Midland’s market towns. Overnight a huge chunk of cheese trade in the town of Stilton was transferred to the railways.

1854 William Thorpe Tuxford - a cheese factor of Melton Mowbray - made an impassioned speech in support of a change of name for Stilton cheese - he suggested “Meltonian Cream Cheese” as all the Stilton was made within a 10-mile radius of the town. The name did not catch on!

1875 The first large scale Stilton factory established in the village of Beeby, near Leicester by Thomas Nuttall. Smaller dairies established in other parts of the East Midlands.

1876 Cheese dairy opened at Hartington in Derbyshire by the Duke of Devonshire. Subsequently purchased by Thomas Nuttall to make Stilton cheese in 1895

1883 First Stilton Cheese Fair held in Melton Mowbray in September. Almost 13,000 Stilton cheeses were sold at prices ranging from 10d to 1s 11/2 d per pound (4.2p to 5.6 p per pound)

1889 The Royal Agricultural Society of England published “The Practice of Stilton Cheese Making” written by Mr G Kemp, a famous local cheese-maker. This was a detailed description of the facilities, equipment and recipe required to make good cheese.

1911 The first farmer’s co-operative formed for the purpose of making Stilton was set up at Long Clawson

1912 Colston Bassett & District Dairy formed by 12 local farmers to become the second farmer co-operative making Stilton cheese

1936 Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association formed to raise standards and to represent the interests of the Stilton industry to government.

1966 Stilton granted a certification trade-mark (CTM) in the UK so protecting it from imitation. In the

1990’s this was extended to various countries abroad.

1996 Stilton granted an EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

TODAY There are just six dairies licensed to make Stilton cheese.

In total they produce around 10,000 tonnes of blue and White Stilton cheese a year.

Over 1,000 tonnes of blue Stilton are exported each year to over 40 countries with the USA and Canada being the two most important markets.