Where does Red Leicester cheese come from?
A. In 1745 George Chapman began making Red Leicester cheese (or Leicester cheese as it was called then) on Sparkenhoe Farm in Upton. After World War II people began calling it Red Leicester, due to the addition of a vegetable dye called Annato which gives it the distinctive colour. Then for a long while, production of Red Leicester ceased in the county and seemed to take place everywhere except Leicestershire! But today it’s back being made on Sparkenhoe Farm, Upton by David and Jo Clarke.
