The Artisan Food & Drink Producers Of Lancashire - Singletons & Co

It is likely that even those who have never set foot in the county could identify Lancashire Cheese by its creamy, crumbly texture and its buttery taste. Cheese has been made in Lancashire for hundreds of years, and some of the first producers are still making top-quality products all across the region, including Singletons & Co: Cheesemakers and Cheesemongers since 1745.

The taste and texture of Lancashire Cheese comes from a handcrafting process lasting three days which results in one of the best cheeses made for melting. The terroir (landscape, climate and topography) plays a significant role in the cheese production: the endless rainy days Lancastrians endure means an almost continuous pasture for cows to graze, and its acidity lends itself better to the process of turning the milk to cheese, as opposed to butter.

Historically, Lancashire farms were small and privately owned, and farmers did not produce enough milk each day to make a whole cheese. They therefore kept the curd for three days, which gives Lancashire cheese its unique taste and texture.

The three traditional varieties of Lancashire Cheese are distinguished by their maturation time. Creamy Lancashire matures for 4-12 weeks, Tasty Lancashire matures for 12 weeks to 24 months and the more recent innovation, dating to the 1950s, of Crumbly Lancashire matures for only 6-8 weeks.

The recipe for Lancashire cheese was standardised in the Victorian Times, when Joseph Gornall, a local council employee, toured Lancashire Farms in the 1890s to determine a universal recipe and manufacturing method. The result was the Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) which exists to this day and refers only to cheese made with milk from the area north of the River Ribble, including Blackpool, Preston and the Fylde.
Singletons have dairy production roots dating back to 1745 and have been producing cheese commercially since 1934. Launched by a pioneering woman called Duillia Singleton, today the business is led by a fourth-generation woman of the same family, Tilly Carefoot. They continue to source their milk local to their base in Longridge. Nowadays their products are shipped all across the world: the most popular destination being America, the most unusual include Iceland, Iraq and Jordan.

Cheese is constantly evolving; tastes ebb and flow depending on how and why they are eaten. Singletons have a New Product Development (NPD) team who draw data from independent bodies and industry knowledge to keep abreast of nascent trends and respond by producing new varieties to meet current tastes and anticipate what the consumer might want next. Singletons recently launched a new variety of Kefir Cheddar, made using live kefir cultures, which was the consequence of an increase in peoples’ interest in the health of their guts.

Singletons have been lucky in weathering the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic with staff working from home and remaining healthy. The threat of retailers rationalising their product ranges didn’t materialise and in fact, lockdown, Singletons say, shone a spotlight on “proper, artisan cheese” perhaps due to more people shopping and sourcing food locally.

Singletons collaborate with smaller cheese producers to help with their exporting and retail listings: getting the product into the customers’ hands. They also supply pubs and restaurants using the national wholesalers and distributors Carron Lodge, Curd & Cure and Rowcliffe. The wholesalers also supply farm shops and independent retailers across Lancashire and beyond.

In addition to national and international industry shows such as the Anuga fair in Germany and the Food & Drink Expo here in the UK, Singletons also attend the Great Yorkshire Show. This year they were involved with re-launching the cheese and dairy element of the Royal Lancashire Show, which unfortunately was cancelled due to Covid.

The business supports local charities via donations from pack sales; these include The Country Trust, Bowland & Pennine Mountain Rescue Team, CHAOS (Childrens Holidays and Other Specialities) and the Lancashire & Merseyside Wildlife Trust. Many other local causes are supported on an ad-hoc basis throughout the year.

Singletons Cheeses are stocked in Booths, Morrisons and Asda. Sainsburys also stocks a wide range, including the new Kefir cheddar, launched in July under the brand The Cultured Cheese Company.