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Cheese from England, Gloucestershire

Single Gloucester PDO

Cows' milk from Gloucestershire farms, from Gloucester cows whenever possible, is ripened with starter at 30–32 °C, set with rennet, cut and scalded at 32–35 °C. The curd is drained, milled, salted and pressed for up to 5 days, and the flat disc is ready at about two months.

Fully documentedCheese2 months – 2.2 monthsPDO (registered with the EU by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996; UK protected food name since 31 December 2020)Family: Cheddared cheese family (Cheddar as template)

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceDoses are given per litre of milk; the specification sets no batch size.
Cows' milk, pasteurised or unpasteurised, from a herd of Gloucester cows in the area whenever possible; milk of other breeds from the same area is allowed[glouc-defra][glouc-1996]
Starter culture[glouc-defra]
Rennet or a non-animal coagulant1 ml per 3.5–5 litres of milk[glouc-defra]
Salt1.4–5 g per initial litre of milk, by curd moisture[glouc-defra]
Starterstarter culture added to the milk

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months – 2.2 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
30–32 °C

What changes: Starter goes into the milk as it warms to 30–32 °C

Step 1 of 7
Warm the milk with starter
Time
45 min
Set
Temperature
30–32 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Cows' milk from Gloucestershire farms, from Gloucester cows whenever possible, is ripened with starter at 30–32 °C, set with rennet, cut and scalded at 32–35 °C. The curd is drained, milled, salted and pressed for up to 5 days, and the flat disc is ready at about two months. Made in 7 steps over 2 months – 2.2 months. The longest step, ripen, takes 2 months (Defra).

Key numbers
Main step2 monthsSet[glouc-defra][glouc-1996]Ripen
Temperature30–32 °CSet[glouc-defra]Warm the milk with starter

What makes this one different

A Gloucestershire cheese ready at about two months and tied to the rare Gloucester breed. The UK specification describes it as full fat, with a lower-fat version allowed at the maker's discretion.

Milk
From Gloucestershire farms, from Gloucester cows whenever possible
Composition
Typical 58 % fat in dry matter and 42 % moisture; a lower-fat version may be made and is labelled
Ripening
About 2 months

Related ferments

Safety

The milk may be pasteurised or unpasteurised. If it is unpasteurised, note that CDC advises people who are pregnant, aged 65 or over, or have a weakened immune system, and newborns, to avoid any cheese made with raw milk because of Listeria [cdc-listeria].

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The Defra specification says the Second World War and the demand for liquid milk largely killed off the Gloucestershire farm cheese industry, which was computed in 1850 to make a thousand to twelve hundred tons of these cheeses a year. By 1994 two small-scale producers remained, and they applied for protection; the name was registered with the EU by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996. The 1990s application says producers kept registered herds of Gloucester cattle. The Defra specification notes the breed is now rare and milks better in summer, so other breeds on the same farms may top up the milk.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [glouc-defra] Defra, Protected food name Single Gloucester (PDO), product specification (method of production, section 4.5)spec
  2. [glouc-1996] Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Application for registration 'Single Gloucester' PDO under Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92, summary sheet, eAmbrosia attachment 62118spec
  3. [glouc-reg1107] Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92, OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1 (Single Gloucester (PDO) among the cheeses)spec
  4. [glouc-register] Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, GOV.UK protected geographical food and drink names register, 'Single Gloucester' (PDO)gov
  5. [cdc-listeria] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Listeria prevention, safer food choices (cheese made with unpasteurized milk)gov