05 02, 2026

TAKE 12 CHEESES

The short dark days of winter create opportunities to look deeper into the joys of the cheeseboard to give us a sense of contentment and something to savour, especially with a glass of wine or beer.  The fact that we have over 150 cheeses in our ripening rooms all vying for attention, I can see 12 that stand out, and perhaps have not been on your radar but they could potentially be your new favourite cheeses. 

There are also many ways of pairing them, it could be 2, 3 or 4 or even 5 if you wanted to make a splash.  I had fun mixing and matching as I have listed, but just read the descriptive notes and you can discover new and exciting cheeses to enjoy and brighten up these dark, cold wintry days. 

We have seen a lot of people take up the Academy of Cheese Level 1 that Senior Cheesemonger, Max Melvin, tutors as he deep dives into the world of cheese, looking at not only the seasons but also the herds, the pasture, the land and methods of making cheese.  While these classes are designed for professionals, we encourage anyone not just interested in cheese but the history, the traditions and to discover how a simple food has a multitude of complexities that we have often taken for granted.

So take a look at the list of great cheese varieties and create something special to enjoy, right here, right now.

Unpasteurised Cow's Milk, Traditional Rennet
Protected by the Grana Cheese Consortium but with their own Trentino stamp on the rind, the same production method is used based on the Parmigiano Reggiano. The cream of the evening milk is skimmed off the following morning and then the morning milk is added. The cheeses are then matured for a year before selling.


 

Unpasteurised Cow's Milk, Traditional Rennet
A fascinating reinvention of an ancient recipe made by Sally and Andrew Hatton accessing an old recipe together with Mrs Peacock, a retired local cheesemaker. It has taken over 2 years to bring this cheese to more than the immediate local shops, and the Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle produce a wonderfully fresh and grassy tasting cheese. Very limited supply but worth every bite.   



                                                                                                                                               
Unpasteurised Cow's Milk, Traditional Rennet.
One of the rare cow's milk cheeses of Portugal, from the beautiful island of São Jorge in the Atlantic archipelago of the Azores. On the island there is constant eighty-percent humidity, a volcanic soil composition, and a temperature that is perfect for agriculture. The cheese has a lovely sharp nuttiness, redolent of cheddar, with a simmering undertone of the farm that extends the depth of flavour, and lends a persistent finish.



Thermised Cow's Milk, Traditional Rennet.
The square shape of Almnäs Tegel Brick reflects the bricks on the farm to build the manor house in 1750. As the bricks dried in the sun children ran over them leaving their footprints. This became the logo imprint for the cheese, which is likened to Gruyère & Parmesan with maturing of between 1-2 years.



Unpasteurised Goat's Milk
Whilst washed rind cheeses usually take on a gamey taste, this cheese is much gentler with a lovely sweetness redolent of milky almonds. There is a nutty clean aroma with toasty notes of buttery brioche and, fi you are looking for another style to add to your goat's cheese selection, then this is it. Wonderful with blond beers, Chardonnay whites, Rhone and Gamay reds.





HAUT BARRY, Larzac, Aveyron
Thermised Ewe's Milk, Traditional Rennet
An unpasteurised ewe's milk cheese with a lovely natural crust which has been brushed allowing the natural moulds to evolve on the crust. The texture is semi-hard with tiny eyelet holes through the cheese, & the taste has a gently earthy sweetness redolent of the milk with a fresh hazelnut bite, A delicious end of meal cheese. CONTAINS EGG LYSOME ON RIND.




Unpasteurised Goat's Milk, Traditional Rennet
Tubby drum shaped cylinder, with a close textured crumbly pate. The rind is natural & slightly dry with patchy grey, blue & white moulds. The taste is rich and sophisticated with a fine clean flavour. The perfect partner to dry Chardonnay white wines or Aligote with a little Chardonnay - wines with a fresh acidity. Also red wines such as Givry and Mercurey that are not too tannic - Pinot with fresh acidity.



Unpasteurised Ewe's Milk, Traditional Rennet
Handmade mountain cheese made by a small isolated community. Semi-hard cheese with a brine rubbed crust. A firm yet supple cheese, in that the hard crust holds within a cheese which crumbles & breaks down on impact & with a complexity of tastes that tingle on the tongue. With a little age the pate becomes flakier & the taste more pronounced & nutty.




Unpasteurised Ewe's Milk, Traditional Rennet.
This is a signature cheese for La Fromagerie. The whole story from the father/son family tradition as Shepherds and cheesemakers, to the land they farm, the number of sheep in their flock, and finally the seasons that spell out the taste of the cheeses. This is what artisan cheese making is all about. The flock graze on both wild and farmed pasture with the famed holm oak trees bounty of acorns being their winter feed.

 



GRATIN BLEU, Piedmont,
Pasteurised Cow's Milk, Traditional Rennet
The Alpine chain at the top of Piedmont region has wonderful grazing areas & cheeses are like those from Switzerland & France. Gratin is matured in underground cellars on wooden shelves giving the crust beautiful moulds & the semi hard lactic tang becomes richer & creamier as the cheese matures. Piedmont red or white wines to match.

 

HUALDO MANCHEGO DOP, Toledo, Spain
Unpasteurised Ewe's Milk
A classic cheese where we choose 7 month aged versions, some of which we hold back to mature longer. The slow process of making the cheese allows the rind development to bring out the qualities of the milk, giving the cheeses their unique flavour profile, from fruit, sweet savoury and nutty. It's a cheese that keeps on giving.

 

WESTCOMBE CHEDDAR, Somerset
Unpasteurised Cow's Milk, Traditional Rennet
Aged 14+ months, this cheddar has a lovely dense crumble with a sweet pepper spice tang. Tom Calver has tweaked his traditional recipe to give a much bigger flavour profile to the cheeses as well as allowing the cattle to graze right up to the end of November on grass. Partners both full bodied red dry red wines & beers. 

                                                                                                                
MIX AND MATCH IDEAS

You can enjoy making your own cheese boards from these 12 cheeses but, if you'd appreciate some inspiration, Patricia Michelson, our founder, has created the following pairings that she thinks would work really well together:

STONEBECK
OSSAU IRATY