🧀 Single Gloucester
Single Gloucester is an English PDO full-fat hard cheese made as a flat disc from cows' milk produced in Gloucestershire.
Single Gloucester is an English full-fat hard cheese, uncoloured, made from cows' milk produced in Gloucestershire. The name is protected in the EU as a PDO (eAmbrosia PDO-GB-0281; registered by Regulation (EC) No 1107/96).
The milk, pasteurised or unpasteurised, must whenever possible include milk from Gloucester cows kept within the county; exceptionally, milk from other breeds from the same area may be used. The specification explains that the Gloucester cow is a rare breed that milks better in summer, so its milk is sometimes supplemented with that of other breeds on the same farms. After the starter culture, rennet (or non-animal coagulants) is added; the curd is cut, scalded up to 32-35 °C, drained, milled, salted, moulded and pressed. The cheese is ready for consumption at about two months.
It has the shape of a flat disc. The typical composition is 58% fat in dry matter and 42% moisture. A lower-fat version is allowed at the cheesemaker's discretion and is always shown on the label. The smell is lactic, particularly in young cheese; the taste is mild, lactic and buttery; the texture is smooth and creamy, and the body yields under hand pressure.
Single Gloucester or Cheddar? Both are English hard cheeses from cows' milk with an EU-protected name, but they are made for different lengths of time. Single Gloucester is a flat disc, uncoloured and mild, buttery and lactic, ready at about two months. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is sold only after at least 9 months, is cheddared by hand, and tastes nutty and round with a hint of sharpness. If you want a mild, creamy cheese rather than a sharp, nutty one, Single Gloucester is the closer fit; check that the name on the pack is the protected one.
Look for the name Single Gloucester with the EU PDO symbol (protected designation of origin). The cheese is a flat disc, uncoloured, with a creamy paste, and the label shows if it is a lower-fat version. Because the name is protected, the milk must come from Gloucestershire, so a pack that only says “Gloucester” deserves a second look. You will find it at a delicatessen, a farm shop or a supermarket cheese counter, usually as a wedge cut from the disc.
According to the specification, the cheese was traditionally made flat because the moulds were turned on a lathe from a block of elm, and for easy storage on shelves in farmhouse lofts.
Facts
| Raw material | Cows' milk from Gloucestershire, whenever possible incl. Gloucester cows |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom (England) |
| Region | Gloucestershire |
| Taste | Mild, lactic and buttery; smooth, creamy |
| Duration | Ready for consumption at about 2 months |
| Legal basis | EU PDO, PDO-GB-0281, Reg. (EC) No 1107/96 1 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Single Gloucester → kind of → 🪨 Hard cheeses → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇬🇧 British cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Double Gloucester
Frequently asked questions
Is Single Gloucester the same as Double Gloucester?
This page covers Single Gloucester, the protected name: a full-fat, uncoloured hard cheese from Gloucestershire milk, made as a flat disc and ready at about two months.
Why is Single Gloucester a flat disc?
According to the specification, it was made flat because the moulds were turned on a lathe from a block of elm, and so it could be stored easily on shelves in farmhouse lofts.
Does the milk have to come from Gloucester cows?
Whenever possible, yes: it must include milk from Gloucester cows kept in the county. Milk from other breeds of the same area may be added, because the Gloucester is a rare breed that milks better in summer.
Is it true that a lower-fat Single Gloucester can be sold under the PDO?
Yes. The typical cheese has 58% fat in dry matter, but a lower-fat version is allowed at the cheesemaker's discretion and is always shown on the label.
What does a young PDO Gloucestershire cheese taste like?
Mild, lactic and buttery, with a lactic smell and a smooth, creamy body that yields under hand pressure.
What to read next
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🧀 Double Gloucester — An English hard cow's milk cheese from Gloucestershire, orange, firm and smooth, with a mellow, buttery and nutty taste.
Similar
Teviotdale Cheese · Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop · 🧀 Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar · 🧀 West Country Farmhouse Cheddar · 🧀 Džiugas · Imokilly Regato
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.