My current favourite is an Ossau-Iraty, a ewes milk cheese made in the French Pyrénées. It is aged for around 90 days which gives it a nutty, yet sweet and buttery flavour. It’s widely available, and although mine came from Waitrose (www.ocado.com/product/48985011) you’ll be able to get hold or it from most supermarkets – or even better local cheese shops. I serve mine with crusty bread, a handful of dried fruit (dates, figs, pear and raisins) and some sticky chilli jam.
La Fromagerie
I was lucky enough to catch up with La Fromagerie’s Sarah Bilney to get her ponderings on the food, and she provided me with some interesting insights:
How has peoples taste in cheese changed in the past, say, decade?
“I’ve noticed that consumers have become more adventurous over the years, people are more willing to try out new products and sample flavours that they may previously have shied away from. Maybe they’ll have tried something they like while on holiday, and they’ll visit us to try and find something different. But there has also been a real resurgence in British cheese. People are taking an avid interest in products that can be sourced locally as they are concerned about food miles – also they just want to support British producers, which is great.”
How can you tempt someone to try something different?
"Cheese appreciation is different for everyone. It’s all about trying to understand new cheeses – the texture and flavour – to find out what you like. We sell come real crowd pleasers such as the Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage, which was actually the cheese that started the shop and is popular as ever. It has a really creamy, smooth flavour and is rich without being overpowering.
"At La Fromagerie we sell a lot of cheeses that have come from small producers who have been making certain cheeses for years and years. It’s great to sell products that really have a history behind them, and it’s even better for us as we can provide people with accompanying wines and other items that have come from the same region and really match the cheeses. It gives people a bigger appreciation of what they are eating."
Have you got any tips for creating the perfectly balanced cheese board? "Traditionally you choose five cheeses. Start with a young goats cheese, then a mellow blue, move onto something semi soft such as Camember followed by a hard cows cheese and a stronger melting blue to finish.
"Team this with crisp biscuits – apples and pears are great accompaniment, too. But to go a step further, try figs with sheep’s milk products, plums and damsons go well with hard cheeses, and savoury jams and chutneys are a good all round accompaniment. I would also recommend including a range of almonds, walnuts and even cobnuts to introduce a variety of textures.
"Cheese can be seasonal, too. For instance, for spring we have a lovely goats cheese from the Loire region, and have wines to match – this is a very light and mellow paring, where as you might want something more robust to serve in the winter."
For more information on La Fromagerie, visit www.lafromagerie.co.uk
