Objektnummer
60/23/1-2
Beskrivelse
This is a very large cheese mould, used for moulding and draining Cheshire or cheddar cheese. The sides of the mould are made from 14 oak staves held in position with 4 iron bands, and the mould has two iron handles. The base has 5 large ‘weep holes’ and 45 small ones. ‘Number 1’ has been burned onto the wood. The mould was used at the University of Reading’s Department of Dairying, when it was the Dairy Department at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, 1888–1908.
Fysisk beskrivelse
1 cheese mould and follower: wood [oak]; galvanised ironA very large wooden mould made from 14 oak staves held in position by 4 iron bands which are rivetted together. The bands are screwed onto the mould. There are two iron handles screwed on between the two middle bands. The base is made from 4 pieces of wood and has 5 large drainage holes and 45 small ones. The follower [lid] fits inside the mould so as to press down on cheese when moulding and draining is in progress. Other names for this type of mould are 'cheese vat' or 'chesset'.
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>4. <B>Wooden cheese mould</B><P>Once the curd had been cut and milled it was placed in a mould to be pressed into shape whilst also being drained of the last remaining whey. Older cheese moulds were made of wood, elm being preferred. These wooden moulds were made from either a single turned piece of suitable timber or were of coopered construction. Usually only the smallest moulds were turned pieces. In the base of most cheese moulds were small draining holes, these permitting any remaining whey in the curds to drain out; most moulds had about eight such draining holes. The cheese mould pictured is made of oak and of coopered construction, its fourteen staves secured by four iron bands. The mould has fifty draining holes in its base. Stamped into the rim are the words 'R Brown Maker Kilmarnock'. This mould was used in the making of either Cheddar or Cheshire cheese at the Aylesbury based British Dairy Institute between 1888 and 1908.<P>60/23</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV><DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>7. <B>Wooden cheese mould</B><P>Once the curd had been milled it was placed in a mould to be pressed into shape whilst also being drained of the last remaining whey. Cheese moulds were known by a variety of names such as chessels, chessets and vats. Certain names were specific to particular districts; the cheese makers around Wensleydale in Yorkshire for example called them chesfords. Older cheese moulds were made of wood, elm being preferred. These wooden moulds were made from either a single turned piece of suitable timber or were of coopered construction. Usually only the smallest moulds were turned pieces. In the base of most cheese moulds were small draining holes, these permitting any remaining whey in the curds to drain out; most moulds had about eight such draining holes.<P>The cheese mould pictured is made of oak and of coopered construction, its fourteen staves secured by four iron bands. The mould has fifty draining holes in its base. Stamped into the rim are the words 'R Brown Maker Kilmarnock'. This mould was used in the making of either Cheddar or Cheshire cheese at the Aylesbury based British Dairy Institute between 1888 and 1908.<P>60/23</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Arkivhistorik
MERL miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 25 January 2013 – Objects 60/22–60/31 were all used by the ‘Department of Dairying’ at the University of Reading. The name of the department has changed several times over the years, as has its location. It began as the British Dairy Institute in 1888, and was based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, until 1908. It later became the Department of Dairying and was based at the Shinfield Estate in Reading, which was purchased by the University in 1921. In 1982 it became the Dairy Unit of the Department of Food Sciences on the Whiteknights Campus in Reading. See ’The University of Reading, Department of Dairying, the history of an unusual university department over its first hundred years’ by James Rothwell for full details. A memo from Margaret Fuller at MERL to Miss A. Sheppard at the Department of Dairying in 1960 asks whether the three curd breakers (60/24/1–3), a wooden skimmer (annotated by Miss Sheppard as being a ‘butter scoop’) (60/25) and a large coopered item (annotated by Miss Sheppard as being a ‘Cheshire cheese mould’) (60/23) were used in the Department. Miss Sheppard has annotated that ‘all were used in the department when at Aylesbury between 1888–1908’., MERL ‘History Artefacts’ card – 'Used: Aylesbury Dairy Deparment'., MERL ‘History Artefacts’ card – ‘Description: A very large wooden mould made from 14 oak staves held in position by 4 iron bands which are rivetted together. The bands are screwed onto the mould. There are two iron handles screwed on between the two middle bands. The base is made from 4 pieces of wood and has 5 large drainage holes and 45 small ones. // Use: For moulding and draining Cheshire or cheddar cheese.’
Produktionsdato
1880-01-01 - 1889-12-31
Produktionsperiode
1880s
Objektnavn
Materiale
Eksternt dokument
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_2964.tif - High resolution image
