In the late 17th century, the cheese of Suffolk had a terrible reputation. Suffolk bang was said to have a meagre flavour and was so rock hard – “harder than the devil” – that it needed to be warmed up to become vaguely edible. This disappointing foodstuff was known as a “flotten” cheese because it was made from skimmed milk. But the cheesemakers of the county insisted that it wasn’t their fault their cheese, once highly regarded, had “grown into disrepute”.