View source for Lancashire cheese

{{Short description|English cheese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Cheese
| name = Lancashire
| image = [[File:Lancashire cheese.jpg|230px]]
| othernames = 
| country = England
| regiontown = 
| region = [[Lancashire]]
| town = 
| source = Cows
| pasteurised = Depends on variety<ref name="CheComp">{{cite book |title=The Cheese Companion |year=2002 |first=Judy |last=Ridgway |publisher=Apple Press |isbn=1-84092-339-3}}</ref><ref name="Cheeseworldbook">{{cite book |last1= Barthélemy |first1= R. |last2=Sperat-Czar |first2=A.  |title= Cheeses of the World |publisher= [[Hachette Livre|Hachette]] |year= 2004 |isbn= 1-84430-115-X}}</ref>
| texture = Hard, creamy to crumbly
| fat = 
| protein = 
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| aging = 1–24 months
| certification = ''Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese'' only: [[Protected Designation of Origin|PDO]]
}}
'''Lancashire''' is an English cow's-milk [[cheese]] from the county of [[Lancashire]]. There are three distinct varieties of Lancashire cheese. Young ''Creamy Lancashire'' and mature ''Tasty Lancashire'' are produced by a traditional method, whereas ''Crumbly Lancashire'' (more commonly known as ''Lancashire Crumbly'' within Lancashire) is a more recent creation suitable for [[mass production]].

It is traditionally paired with [[Eccles cake]]s{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}} and [[Chorley cake]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title= Chorley Cakes and Lancashire Cheese |url= http://www.visitlancashire.com/downloads/Chorley%20Cakes%20and%20Lancashrie%20Cheese-2016(1).pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160414120554/http://www.visitlancashire.com/downloads/Chorley%20Cakes%20and%20Lancashrie%20Cheese-2016(1).pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 14 April 2016 |website= VisitLancashire.com |publisher= Marketing Lancashire |access-date= 3 November 2016 }}</ref>

==Creamy Lancashire==
[[File:Eccles cake and Lancashire cheese, St. John restaurant, London.JPG|left|thumb|Eccles cake and Lancashire cheese at a restaurant]]
For centuries, Lancashire dairy farmers' wives  made cheese from surplus milk. On small farms there was insufficient milk from a single day to make a cheese, and so each day's milk was curdled and accumulated for several days until there was enough [[curd]] to make a cheese. Uniquely amongst all British cheeses, two or three days' curd of varying maturity are blended together, giving Lancashire cheese a distinctive character. The traditional method was standardised in the 1890s by Joseph Gornall of [[Garstang]] and [[Pilling]], a county council employee, who visited many Lancashire farms to establish a method and recipe that is still used today &ndash; the "Gornall method".<ref name=cheeseboard>{{cite web |url=http://www.britishcheese.com/lancashire/lancashire-22 |publisher=British Cheese Board |title=Lancashire |access-date=13 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101140952/http://www.britishcheese.com/lancashire/lancashire-22 |archive-date=2019-11-01}}</ref><ref name=creamytrail>{{cite web |url=http://www.ruralfutures.co.uk/resources/LancsCheese_Creamy_LoRes.pdf |title=Creamy Lancashire Cheese Trail |work=Rural Futures |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309183216/http://www.ruralfutures.co.uk/resources/LancsCheese_Creamy_LoRes.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-09 |access-date=15 July 2010}}</ref> His "Gornall Patent Cheesemaker" was sold between 1892 and 1919.<ref name=gornall>{{cite web |url=http://www.lancashirepioneers.com/gornall/default |publisher=Lancashire Pioneers |title=Joseph Gornall – Lancashire's 'Mr Cheese' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172908/http://www.lancashirepioneers.com/gornall/default |access-date=20 July 2010|archive-date=3 March 2016 }}</ref>

Creamy Lancashire cheese is made by this traditional method and matured for a period of four to twelve weeks. It has a fluffy texture and creamy flavour, and is good for toasting,<ref name=cheeseboard/> as it does not become stringy when melted.

'''Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese''' is a [[Protected Designation of Origin]] name. The name can be used only for cheese made with milk from an area north of the [[River Ribble]] including [[the Fylde]], [[City of Preston, Lancashire|Preston]], and [[Blackpool]] and made in the same area by a designated method. The verbatim PDO-registered name is "Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese".<ref name=defra>{{cite web |url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/industry/regional/foodname/products/registered/beacon.htm |title=EU Protected Food Names Scheme: Beacon Fell traditional Lancashire cheese |date=21 July 2003 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091106090654/http%3A//www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/industry/regional/foodname/products/registered/beacon.htm |archive-date=2009-11-06 |publisher=[[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] |access-date=20 July 2010}}</ref><ref name=Ref1>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=us6pBFbdb3UC&pg=PA190 |title=Labels of Origin for Food: Local Development, Global Recognition |first1=Elizabeth |last1=Barham |first2=Bertil |last2=Sylvander |chapter=System VI: Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese (England) |pages=190–193 |publisher=CABI |year=2011 |isbn=9781845933777}}</ref> It is named after [[Beacon Fell Country Park|Beacon Fell]] within the designated area.

==Tasty Lancashire==

Tasty Lancashire cheese is made by the same traditional method as Creamy Lancashire, but is matured for longer, from 12 weeks to 24 months. It has a mature nutty taste.<ref name=cheeseboard/>

[[Leigh, Greater Manchester|Leigh]] Cheese was a version of Lancashire Cheese that ceased production in the 19th century.<ref name="leigh">{{cite magazine |date=November 2005 |url=http://www.wlct.org/Culture/Heritage/pf41.pdf |title=The Famous Leigh Cheese |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014315/http://www.wlct.org/Culture/Heritage/pf41.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-28 |magazine=Past Forward |issue=41 |page=30 |publisher=Wigan Heritage Service |access-date=20 July 2010}}</ref>

==Crumbly Lancashire==

In the 1950s, Crumbly Lancashire cheese was created.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crumbly Lancashire Cheese |url=https://www.greenfieldsdairy.co.uk/product/crumbly-lancashire-cheese/ |website=Greenfields |access-date=12 May 2024}}</ref> Unlike the other Lancashire varieties, this is made from a single day's milk and resembles other crumbly cheeses such as [[Cheshire cheese|Cheshire]] and [[Wensleydale cheese|Wensleydale]]. It is the only Lancashire cheese that is produced outside the county of Lancashire.<ref name=cheeseboard/> It tends to be matured for only 6–8 weeks, resulting in a crumbly, fresh, high-acid cheese.

==See also==
* [[List of British cheeses]]
* [[List of cheeses]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{British cheeses}}
{{English cuisine}}
{{portalbar|Food|England|United Kingdom}}

[[Category:English cheeses]]
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Lancashire cuisine]]