Melton

Melton is a local government district in north-east Leicestershire in the East Midlands, centred on the market town of Melton Mowbray. The district consists mainly of farmland and villages, with the River Eye running through Melton Mowbray and smaller streams crossing the vale. The town retains a market place and a local museum, the Melton Carnegie Museum, which records social and industrial history including food production and hunting. A livestock market and equestrian links have shaped the town’s layout and services, and collection points for agricultural produce remain around the district.

The district’s food heritage is visible in production and processing on a local scale. Melton Mowbray pork pies are baked in the town under Protected Geographical Indication rules, and dairy supplied by surrounding farms goes to creameries that make Stilton; Long Clawson is one village with an active dairy. Hunting and horse-related activities feature in local culture and seasonal events. The economy combines food industry, agriculture and small-scale manufacturing dispersed across the market town and its villages.