Hard - Great Britain
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Sparkenhoe, made by David and Jo Clarke, is England's only unpasteurised Red Leicester cheese. It's the first to be produced on Sparkenhoe Farm since 1875. The cheese is creamy and mellow, with a slightly flakey texture. The addition of natural annatto gives the cheese its deep orange-red colour.
David and Jo Clarke are dairy farmers who run one of the country’s top herds of pedigree Holstein-Friesian cattle. When they decided to revive the tradition of cheese-making on the farm, they discovered that Red Leicester had been made there from1745 until1875. David was initially wary of making the cheese, as Red Leicester cheese had a poor reputation – all that remained at the time was factory-made cheeses that bore little resemblance to the great farmhouse cheeses of the past. In fact, traditional Red Leicester cheese had died out in England in the early 1950s.
In the end, it was David and Jo’s desire to re-create the original great Red Leicester cheese that overcame their initial worry. So, in 2005, armed with an old recipe and having completed a cheese-making course, the Clarkes set about reviving Red Leicester, using traditional methods and raw milk from their own herd.
The name Sparkenhoe has historical significance, in that it is an old Leicestershire term meaning ‘gorsey nob’. It is also the name for the ‘hundred area’ in which the farm is situated.
* This is a hand-made, artisan cheese, which may contain naturally occurring blue veins. These are normal and intrinsic to the nature of this type of cheese and add to its character. We think they taste good too!
*A whole Sparkenhoe Red Leicester weighs approximately 10kg. Smaller weights are a cut of a whole cheese.
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We select and mature traditionally-made artisan cheeses from independent producers who prioritise quality over profit.
For over thirty years we have nurtured and supported the cream of British cheesemakers, and we played an integral role in the revival of traditional British cheesemaking in the early 1990s.
We produce our own range of Partners for Cheese, and our cheese and partners are supplied to hundreds of UK retailers and exported to over 50 countries world-wide.
We were founded in 1990 by Ann-Marie Dyas, a renowned judge at both the British and World Cheese Awards and winner of the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement Award. Ann-Marie was committed to the survival and growth of traditional cheesemaking and to introducing and sharing farmhouse cheeses, as well as the stories behind them, to as wide a public as possible.
Ann-Marie's mission was "To seek out the best, and, when it’s been found, to keep looking". This same tireless pursuit of excellence is the core value across the company.
From the producers we choose to work with to the coffee we serve in our café, we want to give the best possible experience, while continuing to find ways to improve upon it.
If you order with us before noon, Monday to Friday, we are able to arrange for your parcel to arrive on the following day (except to certain postcodes in Scotland).
We have a calendar feature on our checkout page that enables you to select a delivery date of your choosing.
Our mail-order department is not available at the weekends, but our shops are open. Please see our shop page for further information.
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