Take a Culinary Tour of Leicestershire

The county of Leicestershire, in England’s East Midlands area, has one of the oldest market towns in England, Melton Mowbray which is famous for its pork pies. It is also where Red Leicester cheese is made. Due to the number of Asian people who made the area their home in the late 1900s, the county town of Leicester was named Britain’s curry capital in 2007.

Melton Mowbray’s Pork Pies

Melton Mowbray pork pies are on a par with champagne in that they were granted protected geographic indicator status by the European Commission in 2008. This means that only those pies produced in or around the town can use its name. According to The Saturday Review of 1933, the secret to the raised pie’s success is seasoning the pork with salt and pepper and a little anchovy essence.

Dickinson and Morrison claim to be one of the oldest pork pie makers and have a shop in the town where their pies, along with bacon and sausages can be bought. Their produce can also be bought online. The annual East Midlands Food and Drink Festival is held at the nearby Brooksby Hall.

Red Leicester and Stilton Cheeses

It is Leicestershire where Stilton cheese was originally made and not Stilton in Huntingdonshire. The town of Stilton merely sold the cheese which was brought in from Leicestershire. The other great cheese to come out of the county is Red Leicester which is a fairly hard but crumbly type of cheese. Originally coloured with beetroot or carrot juice, the modern manufacturing process uses a dye made from the seeds of the annatto fruit.

While both Stilton and Red Leicester are excellent to eat on their own or with toast, they also have their uses in cooking. Red Leicester is particularly good for grating to make a cheese sauce or to grill on toast. Stilton, like other blue cheeses, makes a cracking soup when coupled with broccoli. It can also be tastily paired with nuts or pears in pies and tarts.

Enjoy Authentic Asian Curries in Leicester

Voted the curry capital of Britain in 2007, the county town of Leicester is famous for its curry houses. The place to head for that authentic experience is the Belgrave Road which is to the north of the city with its “Golden Mile” of restaurants catering for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Or, visit the city centre’s market which was voted Britain’s Favourite Market in 2009 to buy the ingredients for a home made curry.

If none of the above Leicestershire specialities appeal to the gourmet traveller, there are plenty of local produce markets, microbreweries and very nice restaurants and hotels in other parts of the county. Or, why not take a trip to the geographically next door counties of Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire and experience that area’s culinary delights?