CHEESE PLEASE

Just nished the excellent article on Leicester [Vol 90 Issue 1]. It mentions that Stilton cheese originated in Wymondham in Leicestershire 300 years ago. The village of Stilton, however, is 34 miles away in Cambridgeshire. The owner of a coaching inn on the Great North Road got the cheese from a relative in Wymondham and sold it to his many guests that stopped there. These guests spread the word about the delicious cheese from Stilton.

Robert Ward, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA

BRITAIN replies: You’re right, Robert! Strangely enough, Stilton can no longer be made in the village that gave it its name: by law it can only be made in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.