Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.
We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store
Price range: £3.20 through £16.00
Tomme des Alpes has a firm but slightly buttery texture and is the colour of hay inside its mottled brown rind. Its flavours are light and delicate, like fresh milk, with occasional hints of flowers.
Tomme des Alpes is one of those overlooked cheeses that doesn’t shout for attention but is always worth a taste. It’s got that rustic, earthy charm of the French Alps, where mountain farming has been part of daily life for generations. It might not have the fame of Comté PDO or Le Gruyère AOP, but it’s a real favourite up in the mountains and always feels right at home on the cheeseboard.
The word ‘tomme’ (or ‘tome’) isn’t the name of a particular cheese; it covers a whole family of traditional mountain cheeses made all over the French Alps, from Savoie to Haute-Savoie and beyond. These were the cheeses farmers made to keep for their own tables, not to impress anyone. Once the cream was skimmed off to make butter (which was the real treat), the rest of the milk was used to make tomme.
Making cheese this way meant tomme was a bit lower in fat than some of its Alpine cousins, but still hearty enough to see you through a long winter. The wheels were just the right size to carry down a steep path or stash in a cool cellar. Tomme des Alpes really was the cheese you wanted when times were tough.
Over the years, what began as a way to use every last drop of milk has become a much-loved local favourite. Even now, Tomme des Alpes is often made by small dairies and farms, keeping those old traditions and local flavours going strong.
Tomme des Alpes is made from pasteurised cow’s milk and aged for just a couple of months. We have sourced it to replace our Tomme de Savoie PDO which is currently unavailable in the UK. One of its trademarks is its natural rind, mottled and often looking a bit wild, with splashes of white, blue, or yellow mould. That rugged look isn’t just for appearances; it really does help shape the flavour.
Inside, the cheese is pale ivory or light yellow, firm but still a bit springy, and dotted with little holes. The flavour is gentle, but there’s plenty going on: fresh milk, butter, and cream, with earthy, mushroomy notes from the rind. As it matures, you might catch hints of hay, nuts, or even a little tang.
Jen’s note: The rind of the Tomme des Alpes can look mottled and unappealing but Alpine cheesemakers say the natural microflora helps protect the cheese and gives it that earthy flavour. So if you spot a wheel looking a bit wild, that’s a sign of tradition, not a mistake.
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, salt, starter cultures, rennet
Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:
Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal
After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.
