Stilton Blue Cheese

What is Stilton Blue Cheese?

A PDO English blue cheese made from full-fat pasteurised cow’s milk in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. Penicillium roqueforti is added and the cheese is pierced during ageing so its characteristic blue-green veins can develop. It is sold as Blue, Mature Blue, or Vintage Blue Stilton according to maturity and sensory character.

Taste, aroma, and texture

Slightly crumbly and open when young, becoming softer and creamier as it matures. Blue-green mould radiates from the centre through a creamy white to yellow-white paste, while the exterior develops a slightly wrinkled natural coat.

Earthy blue-mould notes are strongly dominant, supported by a clean milky background. Fruity and animal notes become fuller with maturity, while herbal and lactic notes remain noticeable. Mature and Vintage Blue Stilton develop a deeper, rounder, and more complex aroma.

How to enjoy it

• Crumbled over salads, soups, or roasted vegetables.
• Melted into sauces for pasta, steak, or potatoes.
• Used in savoury tarts, dips, or cheese spreads.

What pairs with Stilton Blue Cheese?

Classic serving companions from the Cheesepedia catalog.

• Traditional Alentejo Bread
• Local Black or Green Olives
• Intense Floral Honey
• Walnuts
• Oatcakes

Story and origin

The earliest written record of Stilton dates to 1722. The name derives from the village of Stilton in Cambridgeshire, where it was sold at coaching inns, although it was never made there and the village falls outside the three protected counties. Frances Pawlett of Leicestershire is traditionally credited with establishing the modern style in the 1720s. The Stilton Cheesemakers’ Association was formed in 1936. The registered name Stilton Blue Cheese received PDO protection in 1996.

Storage and serving

• Store in the fridge, wrapped in cheese paper.
• Air travel: suitable only for short trips if sealed and kept cold.