English Cheese – Cheshire
Cheshire cheese is one of the oldest recorded cheeses in British history and is referred to in the Domesday Book. This is no surprise given that even today the county is one of the main dairy regions of England, and has a long history of salt production. Cheshire was the most popular cheese on the market in the late 18th century. In 1758 the Royal Navy ordered that ships be stocked with Cheshire and Gloucester cheeses. By 1823, Cheshire cheese production was estimated at 10,000 tonnes per year. Until the late 19th century, the different varieties of Cheshire cheeses were aged to a sufficient level of hardness to withstand the rigours of transport (by horse and cart, and later by boat) to London for sale. Younger, fresher, crumbly cheese that required shorter storage – similar to the Cheshire cheese of today – began to gain popularity towards the end of the 19th century, particularly in the industrial areas in the North and the Midlands.
Filed under: 1 Cheese
