Red Leicester cheese has not been made on a Leicestershire
farm in a traditional manner for over 50 years, but this has recently changed.
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company is located in a small hamlet in the South West Leicestershire countryside on a working dairy farm. David and Jo Clarke are dairy farmers whose families have farmed in the area for generations. David manages the 150 head of pedigree Holstein Friesian cows and the 160 followers. The cows are fed on the farm’s lush pastures and calving takes place all year round to keep the milk supply as consistent as possible.
Red Leicester was made on Sparkenhoe Farm by Mr George Chapman in 1745. He was quoted by Robert Bakewell, a famous breeder of the time, to have had ‘one of the best herds of longhorns known anywhere,’these included his prize winning bulls ‘Old Sparkenhoe’ and the ‘Earl of Upton.’ The Chapmans ceased cheese production in 1875 and 131 years later this has been revived by Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company making the aptly named ‘Sparkenhoe’ Red Leicester.
The cheese is being made totally authentically using the farms unpasteurised milk and animal rennet. It is being made on a Leicestershire farm, something that has not happened since 1956, therefore this cheese is the ONLY Red Leicester to be made in Leicestershire. The cheeses are a traditional shape and size i.e. large, round but not particularly deep and are bound and matured in cloth and lard.
David and Jo Clarke started making ‘Sparkenhoe’ at the beginning of November 2005 and have had a very steep learning curve in the art of cheese making. With help from family and friends they have managed to make approximately 200Kg per week of ‘Sparkenhoe’ and have been attending local farmer’s markets selling a fresh unpasteurised cheese called ‘1485’, named after the Battle of Bosworth, whose site over looks the farm.
This is the ONLY Red Leicester cheese to be made in Leicestershire
The launch of ‘Sparkenhoe’ will be at Leicestershire County Show, Melton Mowbray on the 30th April and the 1st May 2006.
‘Sparkenhoe’ will be available from the farm and at local farmer’s markets and it is hoped that it will be available nationally through cheese stores.
