Food Facts

Melton Food Facts

Download Melton Mowbray Food Facts

Melton Mowbray – the Rural Capital of Food

 We’re the home of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies

We’re the home of Stilton Cheese.

  • We have 3 European Protected Food Names: Blue & White Stilton, Melton Mowbray Pork Pies
  • Stilton was in the High Court in 1966 and our pies in the High Court and Court of Appeal 2005/6
  • Afternoon tea was invented (1843) in the Borough at Belvoir Castle by Anna Duchess of Bedford
  • We have the third oldest recorded market in the country and a weekly farmers market
  • We have one of the UK’s largest livestock markets in the town founded by Act of Parliament 1869
  • The earliest recorded recipe for a wedding cake comes from the Melton Borough made in 1653
  • The expression ‘Painting the Town Red’ comes from Melton Mowbray 1837 Marquis of Waterford
  • We host the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival eastmidlandsfoodfestival.co.uk
  • We host the British Pie Awards britishpieawards.co.uk and PieFest www.piefest.co.uk
  • We host the Artisan Cheese Fair artisancheesefair.co.uk and ChocFest www.chocfest.co.uk
  • We host the national Rare Breeds Sale
  • We have Samworth Brothers HQ one of the UK’s largest private food producing companies
  • We have a range of award winning producers of meat, meat products and cheese in the area
  • Local treats: Valentine Day Buns (plum shuttles), Belvoir Castle Buns, Melton Curd Cheesecakes
  • Local cakes: Melton Hunt Cake, Belvoir Ginger Cake, Countess of Rutland Wedding Cake
  • Local cheeses: Stilton, Red Leicester, Shropshire Blue, Colwick, Slipcote
  • Local Dishes: Pork Pies, Melton Mowbray Spiced Beef, Melton Market Day Savoury
  • We are one of the leading producers of Paneer cheese for the Indian restaurant market
  • We are one of the leading producers of Tofu for the Japanese restaurant market
  • We are one of the main sources of Halal meat (specialised sheep abattoir) for the Muslim market
  • We now have our second new multi species abattoir (opened summer 2011)
  • We have one of the largest producers of fruit cordials in the country (Belvoir Cordials)
  • We have two craft bakers: one supplies sourdough to restaurants and businesses outside the area
  • We have two microbreweries in the Borough and a Gin Distillery
  • We have bison and venison in the Borough
  • Colonel Colman of Mustard fame lived at Scalford Hall – the origin of Cluedo and Colonel Mustard
  • HP Sauce was invented in Bottesford.
  • We have one of the leading UK producers of flavoured and specialist coffees – Cherizena
  • We are one of the last areas to have a Rook Club.
  • We still have local butchers, fishmonger, greengrocer, bakers, cheese shop and 5 supermarkets
  • Tourism, mainly based on food, brings in £100m+ that’s £2,000 for every resident in the Borough
  • We get on average 12 coaches every Tuesday market day in Summer, visiting the town
  • Our Borough Signs and our Town Signs now designate our connection with food
  • We have an agricultural land sciences college in the Borough (Brooksby Melton College)
  • 54% of our manufacturing jobs are in food & drink: one quarter for all of Leicestershire
  • Bear in mind we are the 10th smallest Borough in the country so it’s a lot packed into a small area