Some of our favourite places to taste fromage in the capital...
Avid cheese lover and celebrated food writer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once said: “A meal without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye” and we have to agree with the man (although there is something undeniably sexy about Gabrielle's eye patch).
This Saturday, the Great British Cheese Festival is held in Cardiff, marking the beginning of British Cheese Week (24th September-2nd October) created 15 years ago to celebrate and promote one of the nation's favourite foodstuffs. Retailers, hotels, pubs and restaurants all across the country are supporting it, including The Dorchester Hotel and Viva Bacchus restaurant in London.
Although more and more farmer's markets are cropping up that support small, artisanal cheese producers, we are, according to a survey conducted by the British Cheese Board, largely unaware of the range of cheese produced in the UK, like Camembert, Brie and Mozzarella. Nigel White, secretary of the British Cheese Board said:
"We know that the nation love Cheddar, but we were disappointed to see that so few people are aware of the wonderful range of cheese produced here in the UK. There are more than 700 named cheeses currently being made in the UK, many of which are available in local supermarkets and farmers' markets. Clearly we have a challenging task to help people understand the range of fabulous cheeses available."
As we've been feeling the fromage love in the office this week, we thought we'd put together a list of some of our favourite London haunts where you can buy and enjoy some cracking cheese.
Terroirs
The guys behind Terroirs recently opened a sister restaurant – Brawn on Columbia Road – but in our humble opinion the original remains the superior. The menu has a Basque/French peasant food vibe and the wines are truly tremendous. But it's the cheese we're interested in – and these are expertly chosen too. Expect lesser known French classics like the cow's milk Brillat-Savarin (named after the aforementioned eighteenth century gastronome) and a mild and nutty Fourme D'Ambert (a variety that dates as far back as Roman times).
Paxton & Whitfield
Founded way back in 1742 by neither Paxton nor Whitfield (they joined a little later), Paxton and Whitfield is one of the most famous cheese shops in the world. After moving to Jermyn Street, the home of men's shirting, the company received what was to be the first of its many Royal Warrants – from Queen Victoria in 1850. To this day Paxton and Whitfield are still based in Jermyn Street, and sell, amongst many other things, some of the finest Stiltons in the whole of the UK.
La Fromagerie
Patricia Michelson first starting selling cheese she brought back from skiing trips out of her garden shed in Highbury. Now she owns two award-winning cheese shops in Highbury and Marylebone, which both have well-stocked walk-in cheese rooms and tasting cafes selling cheese plates, homemade terrines, duck confit and plenty more homemade goodies. La Fromagerie also sells some excellent cheeses from small British producers including creamy Cornish Yarg from Liskeard and Keen's rich and tangy Farmhouse Cheddar.
The Fondue Project
What better way is there to share cheese than via that much-loved old classic, the fondue? And now, at last, September sees the launch of a brand new semi-regular supperclub conceived to fill that gaping hole in the London dining scene – the lack of fondues! Aptly named, The Fondue Project is the brainchild of Mark Wright and Lauren Havard and sees 16 diners pitch up at their flat on Exmouth Market for five courses of cheese-based deliciousness. Er, yum.
La Cave au Fromage
Run by passionate cheese lovers Eric Charriaux and Amnon Paldi, this is a brilliant cheese shop in South Kensington, selling over 200 mostly French and British artisan cheeses. The place also has a small seating area so you can sample several cheeses of your choice while you're there and every other Thursday it holds a cheese and wine tasting evening with a different theme.
Hamish Johnston
Cheese lovers would do well to stop by this Battersea shop, which also has its own wholesale business in Suffolk. British cheese is in healthy supply here including Berkswell made from East Friesland ewe's milk, salty Strathdon Blue, and Tunworth, a soft white cheese from Hampshire similar to Camembert. The shop also sells a good range of cheese biscuits and deli items including oils, salamis and preserved lemons.
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