Stilton Cheese — The Complete Guide

Stilton: The King of English Cheese

Blue Stilton is Britain's most celebrated cheese — a protected, complex, and deeply satisfying blue that has been the centrepiece of British cheese boards for centuries. It is the only British cheese with a Certification Trade Mark, and one of only a handful of cheeses in the world that can genuinely claim that title.

The Stilton Paradox

The cheese is named after Stilton village in Cambridgeshire — where it was sold at the Bell Inn coaching stop in the 18th century — but it has never been legally made in Stilton. The village is in Cambridgeshire; the PDO allows production only in the three East Midlands counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire.

This is the most famous geographical paradox in cheese.

How Blue Stilton Is Made

Stilton's production is more strictly controlled than almost any other British cheese:

1. Pasteurised milk only — from the three counties
2. Penicillium roqueforti is added to the milk before acidification (or during the curd stage) — this is the mould that creates the blue veining
3. The curds are hand-ladled into cylindrical moulds
4. The rind develops naturally over 6 weeks
5. The cheese is then pierced with long needles — this creates air channels that allow the blue mould to colonise and spread
6. After 9 weeks minimum, the rind is sealed and the cheese is ready for sale

The requirement for pasteurised milk is controversial among cheese enthusiasts — it means Stilton can never quite be what it was historically. This is why Stichelton exists.

Stichelton: The Cheese Stilton Used to Be

In 2006, cheesemaker Joe Schneider set out to make Stilton the traditional way — with raw, unpasteurised milk and traditional animal rennet. He was not allowed to call it Stilton (the PDO requires pasteurisation), so he named it after the old medieval spelling of Stilton village.

Stichelton is, by many accounts, the finest blue cheese made in Britain. It has a creamier, more complex character than any commercial Stilton, with a long buttery finish and deeply savoury blue veining.

Finding Stichelton: Available from Neal's Yard Dairy, The Courtyard Dairy, and specialist cheesemongers. Not widely available in supermarkets.

The Stilton Makers

Six dairies are licensed to make Blue Stilton. The differences between them are significant and worth understanding.

Colston Bassett Dairy — The Gold Standard

Made in Nottinghamshire by Billy Kevan. Widely regarded as the finest commercially available Stilton. Produced in smaller quantities than the other makers, with a rich, creamy character and beautifully distributed blue veining. This is the Stilton found at Waitrose — and for good reason.

Flavour: Rich butter, caramel, spice, mineral tang, long complex finish.

Cropwell Bishop Creamery

Family-owned since 1847. Cropwell Bishop Stilton has a firmer texture than Colston Bassett and a slightly more assertive blue character. Excellent and widely available.

Long Clawson Dairy

One of the largest Stilton producers. Their Stilton is solid, consistent, and widely distributed.

Hartington Creamery

The only Stilton produced in Derbyshire. Made in the historic Hartington Creamery in the Peak District, this has a distinctive character linked to its Derbyshire location.

Websters

A smaller producer with a dedicated following.

Tuxford & Tebbutt

Part of a larger dairy group; their Stilton is widely available in supermarkets.

Tasting Stilton

A properly ripe Blue Stilton should have:

• Paste: Ivory to straw-coloured, shot through with radiating blue-green veins from the centre outward
• The centre should be creamy, not chalky or dry — a dry, crumbling interior is a sign of poor aging or incorrect storage
• Aroma: Earthy, mineral, savoury. A faint ammonia smell at the rind is normal; ammonia throughout is a sign of over-ripeness
• Flavour: Butterscotch sweetness meeting mineral blue sharpness, with a long, complex finish

If your Stilton is chalky and dry, it was either cut too young or poorly stored. Great Stilton is lush and creamy.

The Classic Pairing: Stilton and Port

The combination of Blue Stilton and vintage port is one of the great British food traditions. The sweetness and tannins of the port cut through the richness of the blue, while the cheese's savoury depth makes the wine taste richer and more complex. It is a perfect pairing — not a cliché.

Other pairings:

• Sauternes (a Bordeaux sweet wine) — perhaps even better than port
• Barley wine — the equivalent beer pairing
• Celery sticks — freshness against richness
• Pickled walnuts — the most British of all Stilton accompaniments
• Pears — a classic fruit pairing

White Stilton

The less famous sibling: White Stilton carries its own PDO and is produced without the blue mould inoculation. It's younger, milder, and crumblier than its blue cousin — a pleasant but less complex cheese. Most commonly sold studded with fruits (cranberry, apricot, mango) as a Christmas cheese. The plain version is worth seeking out if you want to understand what Blue Stilton is built on.

Stilton in the Kitchen

Stilton is a magnificent cooking cheese when used correctly:

• Stilton and broccoli soup — One of the great British cold-weather dishes. Add crumbled Stilton off the heat, after blending
• Stilton butter — Softened butter beaten with crumbled Stilton and a little walnut oil. Extraordinary on steak
• Stilton, walnut and pear salad — A restaurant classic with good reason
• Pasta sauce — Stilton melted into cream with walnuts and dressed over pappardelle

The rule: add Stilton late, with gentle heat. Extended high heat destroys the complexity that makes it worth buying.

Storing Stilton

Stilton is bought and sold as a whole or half wheel, or cut portions. For cut Stilton:

• Wrap in foil (better than wax paper for blue cheese — it keeps moisture in without making it sweaty)
• Store in the fridge's vegetable drawer
• Bring to room temperature at least 45 minutes before eating
• Eat within 2–3 weeks of cutting

When a Stilton is in good condition — properly aged, well stored, and at room temperature — there is almost nothing more satisfying in the British culinary tradition.