Single Gloucester 
Single Gloucester is a crumbly, low-fat cheese from Gloucestershire, England, made from the milk of Gloucester cattle. It carries Protected Designation of Origin status and can only be made on Gloucestershire farms that keep Gloucester cows.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | England, United Kingdom |
| Specific Origin | Gloucestershire |
| Protection | PDO (1996) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Rind | Natural |
| Texture | Hard, artisan |
| Flavor | Tangy |
| Aroma | Mild |
| Colors | Ivory |
| Forms | Rounds, smaller than Double Gloucester rounds |
What is Single Gloucester Cheese?
Gloucester cheese has been made in Gloucestershire, England, since the 16th century. It comes in two varieties, Single and Double, both traditionally made from the milk of Gloucester cattle. Where Double Gloucester was prized and exported out of the county, ranked alongside the best Cheddar or Cheshire, Single Gloucester was mostly eaten within Gloucestershire.
Production from Gloucester cows died out in the 1950s, along with most of the breed. In 1973 Charles Martell gathered three Old Gloucester cows from a county herd of fewer than 50 and brought back farmhouse Double Gloucester. He revived the lost Single Gloucester in 1978. The Slow Food movement has supported traditionally produced Gloucester cheese since 2004.
Single Gloucester now holds Protected Designation of Origin status. It can only be made in Gloucestershire, on farms that keep Gloucester cows. As of 2010 six cheese makers were producing it.
The cheese has a natural rind and a hard texture, though it is more crumbly and lighter than Double Gloucester, and lower in fat. Double Gloucester ages longer, tastes stronger and more savoury, and is slightly firmer. Both are made in rounds, with Double Gloucester rounds the larger of the two.
How Does Single Gloucester Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Single Gloucester against.
