The Season's Cheeses Board by Jake Cohen
An expertly curated holiday spread
Colston Bassett Stilton
$42.00 / Lbprice is $42.00 by Lb
- Pasteurized
- Animal Rennet
- Age: 4 Months
- Cow Milk
- by Colston Bassett Dairy
- England
- ApproachableAdventurous
- SoftHard
Colston Bassett Stilton is possibly the best Stilton out there. Complex fudgy, silky, salty, and sweet all at once, you may even catch notes of green banana or graham cracker near the rind. Slice into this rustic cylinder and serve with a glass of port wine for a classic pairing, or go decadent and add a dollop of Jamnation Midnight in Pearis, a few slices of Jambon De Bayonne, and a bowl of Rustic Olive Oil & Sel Gris Flatbread Bites.
“Blue cheese can certainly be divisive, but if you enjoy the fruity, funky tones of a good blue, it doesn't get much better than the Colston Bassett Stilton. This blue cheese has an amazingly creamy mouthfeel, rich and savory notes of smoky bacon and chocolate, and picture-perfect blue veining. It's my go-to for punchy flavor and stunning visuals on a cheeseboard. Try it with a slice of Murray’s chorizo and a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey.”
Cow's Milk, Salt, Rennet, Cultures, Penicillium Roqueforti
Allergens: Milk
- Nottinghamshire-based Colston-Bassett has made cheese since 1913, first starting with Cheddar than moving into Stilton production after the First World War.
- Colston Bassett Stilton is considered the most traditional British Stilton cheese on the market.
- Colston-Bassett briefly pressed pause on making Stilton during World War II but resumed production once more in the 1950s.
- Today, pasteurized cow’s milk is collected from dairy cows grazing in the Vale of Belvoir, a pastural spread that borders Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire.
- During a 24-hour fermentation process, the mix develops proper acidity and deep flavors, using animal rennet to separate and drain the whey from the curds.
- Once it sets, the curds are hand-ladled into trays to continue draining before they’re salted, milled, and hooped.
- The cheese remains in that state for five days, being flipped each day, before it begins its cave-aging process.
- As the cheese cave-ages, the cylinder is pierced to allow blue mold to permeate the cheese. The wheels that Murray’s sells are sourced from Neal’s Yard Dairy and undergo piercing later than all other Colston Bassett Stiltons.
- Delaying the piercing helps the cheese develop more robust flavors before the blue makes its mark.
- Stilton is an EU protected food name, meaning it can only be produced in the English counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire where it’s said to have originated. Stilton must be made with pasteurized milk by law
- It’s believed that Stilton was invented by Elizabeth Scarbrow in 1720 and first served at the Bell Inn in Stilton (hence, its name).
- The cheese has maintained its popularity across three centuries.
Harder blue cheeses can stay fresh for up to two to three weeks in a crisper drawer when wrapped tightly and unopened, while softer blues may start to dry out after approximately two weeks. The best thing to do is keep the cheese in one of your refrigerator drawers or the vegetable bin; this will help to keep your cheese from drying out. Additionally, we recommend wrapping your blue cheese in aluminum foil. All cheeses and meats are perishables—by definition they degrade over time—so we encourage our customers to enjoy the cheese while it's in peak condition!
- Based in Nottinghamshire, Colston Basset has been hand-making cheese since 1913.
- Their first cheese was a hard-pressed Cheddar that was made in accordance with war-time restrictions during WWI.
- Colston Basset began making Stilton in the 1920s but paused production during the WWII when they returned to their original Cheddar production.
- Stilton production picked up again in the 1950s, and is now sold year-round in specialty cheese shops, delicatessens, and wholesalers throughout the United Kingdom, United States, and Europe.
- They have worked with the same five family dairies and employed only four cheesemakers throughout the course of their history.
- They have a strong relationship with Neal’s Yard Dairy. The Stilton they make for sale through Neal’s Yard Dairy is made using traditional animal rennet.
Family Owned
Farmstead
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