Long Clawson Dairy

Just before Christmas, we headed off to world’s biggest Stilton producer, Long Clawson Dairy in Leicestershire. And here’s a cheesy fact for you – these guys make more than 60% of the world’s Stilton cheese.

And wow! The pungent smell in their maturing room, where more than 25,000 Stilton cheeses sit ripening, is quite something we can tell you!

Long Clawson Dairy is a farmers’ co-operative that made its first Stilton cheese in 1912. It uses milk from 37 farms, all located within 25 miles of Long Clawson, and it exports around the world, employing more than 400 people across both of its sites (Long Clawson and Bottesford).

We recommend that you head to its cheese shop, which is open on the last Friday and Saturday of each month. You’ll find more than just Blue Stilton, including the likes of Clawson’s Red Leicester (Rutland Red), Shopshire Blue and White Stilton with Cranberries.

For more of our Leicestershire recommendations, click here.