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Forty Years Later: Real Cheese Returns to Stilton Race
24 May
Summary
- Real Stilton cheese will be rolled for the first time in 40 years.
- The festival tradition began in the late 1950s to boost village income.
- This year's theme is Wild West, encouraging fancy dress costumes.
The annual Stilton Cheese Rolling Festival is set to make a significant change this year, reintroducing the rolling of actual Stilton cheese for the first time in approximately four decades. Organizers confirmed that one real wheel of cheese will be part of a special finale involving the last teams and committee members.
The tradition, which originated in the Cambridgeshire village of Stilton in the late 1950s, traditionally features competitors rolling wooden logs carved to resemble cheese wheels down a course. The festival was revived in 2024 after a hiatus since 2018 due to rising costs.
This year's event, scheduled for Sunday, will have a Wild West theme, inviting participants to don themed fancy dress. The festival includes a parade at 10:30 AM BST, with the rolling competition commencing at 11:00 AM BST, followed by a free concert.
Organizers have experimented in a 'Stilton cheese laboratory' to prepare for rolling the real dairy product. The event will take place at Stilton's pavilion and playing fields, a safer location than the village streets used in earlier years. Festival-goers will also have the opportunity to sample the cheese at the end of the event.
