Sparkenhoe Red Leicester

Until David and Jo Clarke decided to revive the practice in 2005, Red Leicester in its clothbound form had been extinct for 50 years. Though neither David nor Jo had any experience of cheesemaking, they had a herd of Holsteins, whose pedigree and quality had been carefully overseen by the Clarke family for three generations. Drawing on a combination of old books and local advice, the pair settled upon a recipe and set to converting the milk of their 150 cows into Red Leicester, using animal rennet and annatto, a natural plant dye obtained from a South American bush that has been used in the coloration of cheeses for almost 300 years. The cheese is clothbound with lard. As it matures, the texture dries and the flavor strengthens and deepens, from savory, smooth and mellow, to nutty and rich.