Local cheesemakers donate to Chelsea Pensioners

Cropwell Bishop Creamery, Long Clawson Dairy and Colston Bassett Dairy have all donated some of their finest Stilton and Red Leicester cheeses in the traditional festive gesture.

They delivered nearly 30kg of their varieties to the Royal Hospital Chelsea as part of a total 295kg given by British cheesemakers for the Annual Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, which has been running for 63 years to thank former military people for their service.

Dairy UK chair, Ash Amirahmadi, addressed guests at the ceremony, emphasising how the importance of dairy and food security were so important.

He said: “As an industry we take very seriously our responsibility as one of the food sectors that helps to feed this nation.

"We know that people rely on us and although this year hasn’t been easy for the sector, we have all worked hard to make sure there have been great tasting nutritious and increasingly sustainable dairy foods on supermarket shelves.

"It’s an honour for us to be able to share many of our finest British cheeses with the men and women of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea today.”

There was an extra thrill for those present when former Strictly Come Dancing performers Erin Boag and Ian Waite who danced a waltz and foxtrot for the Pensioners and attendees.

The history of cheesemakers donating cheeses to the Royal Hospital dates back to when Sir Christopher Wren asked local cheesemongers to donate cheese to the Pensioners the year the hospital opened, in 1692. After that, local cheesemakers have continued making ad hoc donations.