Sparkenhoe Red Leicester - Rennet & Rind British Artisan Cheese

Sparkenhoe Red Leicester

Name: Sparkenhoe Red Leicester
Brand: Rennet & Rind
Price: 8.13 GBP
Availability: InStock

£8.13

Size250GM500GM1KG

Quantity

The story of Sparkenhoe Red Leicester starts with its maker, David Clarke, who had been bemoaning the lack of quality Red Leicester cheeses. His friends challenge him to use his own milk to make one, and the result is a flaky yet silky cheese with a strong savoury cauldron of nutty, smooth and rich flavours.

Aged for 22-24 months to develop a powerful vintage profile and deep russet red appearance, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester has the distinction of being the only unpasteurised Red Leicester cheese in existence. Having it untreated is what gives it an entirely new level of moreish-ness, and its full-flavoured profile is made all the more satisfying with an open texture that settles between chewy and moist. Small wonder this cheese won ‘Best Territorial Cheese’ at the British Artisan Cheese Awards in 2023.

Matured on site at Rennet & Rind by Perry
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MILK
MATURATION NOTES
LOCATION
CHEESEMAKER
REVIEWS
NUTRITION

HERD

Holstein Friesians Cow

Sparkenhoe Red Leicester is made with milk from Holstein Friesians. These cows are a breed of dairy cattle originating from the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany.

MILK

Unpasteurised

Unpasteurised milk is used to make Sparkenhoe Red Leicester. Raw milk or unpasteurised milk is milk that has not been pasteurised, a process of heating liquid foods to kill pathogens for safe consumption and extending the shelf life.

A Word on Rennet & Rind Maturing

"Sparkenhoe Red Leicester is the style in its truest form, yet has hidden some qualities that come from a famous French cheese called Mimolette. These cheeses have gnarly rinds which are devoured by cheese mites (completely safe!) and create heaps of character. I love that you can almost visually see the history by inspecting the rind. We do very little brushing during maturation, allowing that rind to break down and getting it proper gnarly. We go for about an 18-month profile for impact maximum impact."

- Perry James Wakeman, Rennet and Rind’s resident affineur

Upton, Nuneaton, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Sparkenhoe Red Leicester is produced at the Sparkenhoe Farm, in a village called Upton, near to Nuneaton. Nuneaton is a large town in northern Warwickshire, England, right on the border of Leicestershire. The population in 2011 was 86,552, making it the largest town in Warwickshire. David and Jo’s families have been farming in the area for generations and have been invaluable in helping get the cheese business off the ground.

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David and Jo Clarke

Coming from a three-generation farming family, David and Jo revived Farmhouse Red Leicester in November 2005 by creating Sparkenhoe. They use the milk produced from their own cows and this is pumped straight from the parlour directly into the cheese vat ready to make the cheese. Before that, there hadn’t been any Farmhouse Red Leicester made for 50 years.

Today, David and Jo’s farm is set in the rolling Leicestershire countryside. David manages the 150 head of pedigree Holstein Friesian cows and the 160 followers, and the cows are fed on the farm’s lush pastures and calving takes place all year round to keep the milk supply as consistent as possible. The dairy enterprise is run by David with help from Roger, who does most of the milking and Billy who is in charge of feeding the cows (William and Annie also have a big part to play in seeing that everything runs smoothly). The farm is registered under the countryside stewardship scheme and all efforts are made in every respect about conservation. The cows are all pedigree and the herd was in the semi-final of the National Herds Gold Cup Award.

Cows' Milk, Salt, Animal Rennet, Starter culture.

Energy	1708kj/412kcal
Fat	21.7g
of which saturates	21.7g
Carbohydrates	0.1g
of which sugars	0.1g
Protein	25.5g
Salt	1.63g

Disclaimer

Allergens, Ingredients and Nutritional Information Disclaimer

These details have been carefully prepared and are provided for information only. Whilst every effort, care and attention to detail has been taken to provide accurate details, we strongly recommend that you refer to the product label and packaging prior to consumption. Rennet & Rind is unable to accept liability for any errors and omissions or information that may be incorrect. If you require further information, please contact us on 01480 831 112 or email hello@rennetandrind.co.uk