Staffordshire Cheese 
Staffordshire Cheese is a raw cow's milk cheese from the county of Staffordshire, England, protected by a PDO. It is sold as cloth-wrapped cylinders of 8 to 10 kg and ranges from semi-hard to hard depending on how long it is matured.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | England, United Kingdom |
| Specific Origin | Staffordshire, England |
| Protection | PDO (2006) |
| Milk Type | Cow |
| Milk Treatment | Raw |
| Fat Content | 30-35% |
| Rind | Cloth-bound |
| Texture | Hard or semi-hard depending on aging, uniform, slightly crumbly, creamy |
| Flavor | Creamy, fresh, lactic |
| Colors | Pale cream |
| Forms | Cylindrical wheels (8-10 kg) |
| Age | 2-4 weeks (mild), up to 12 months (mature) |
| Alternative Spellings | Staffordshire Organic |
What is Staffordshire Cheese?
Staffordshire Cheese comes from the county of Staffordshire in Britain and carries the Staffordshire cheese protected designation of origin. It is also seen written as Staffordshire Organic.
Its origins go back to Cistercian monks who settled at Leek, Staffordshire, in the 13th century, where they lived a life of prayer, study and work. The monks brought their cheesemaking craft with them. Production continued until the outbreak of the Second World War, when the central milk collection policy of the Milk Marketing Board ended the making of many English regional cheeses. The rediscovered cheese is now building its reputation among retailers and consumers.
It is made with unpasteurised milk from cows raised on farms in the county. The paste is a pale cream colour, uniform and slightly crumbly, hard or semi-hard depending on the length of maturing, with a creamy texture. Fat content runs between 30 and 35 percent, and fat in dry matter between 48 and 51 percent.
The cheese is cylindrical, weighs 8 to 10 kilograms, and goes on sale wrapped in cloth. What sets it apart from the cheeses of neighbouring counties is the particular diet of the cows, the blend of lactic starter cultures, and the size of the cloth-wrapped wheel, which together give the finished cheese its characteristic body and texture.
How Does Staffordshire Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Staffordshire Cheese against.
