Farmhouse Red Leicester

Red Leicester, formerly known as Leicester or Leicestershire cheese is a traditional hard English cheese made from unpasteurised cow’s milk. The history of cheese dates back to the 17th century when farmers recognized the need to make and look at their cheeses apart from cheese made in other parts of the country. They decided that the colour of the cheese should denote its richness and creaminess. To set it apart from cheddar and highlight the quality of cheese, Leicester is coloured with a vegetable dye called annatto. The rind is reddish-orange with a powdery mould on it. The colour indicates that the milk used has a high cream content. Today, only a couple of farms in Leicestershire make the cheese using the traditional method and raw milk.