Description
Tomme des Alpes Cheese
About Tomme des Alpes
Tomme des Alpes is one of those wonderfully understated cheeses that doesn’t shout for attention but is always worth a taste. It has all the rustic, earthy character you associate with the French Alps, where farming and cheesemaking have gone hand in hand for generations.
It might not have the fame of cheeses such as Comté PDO or Le Gruyère AOP, but that’s rather the point. Tommes were traditionally everyday cheeses — made on farms, eaten locally and very much part of mountain life. There’s something refreshingly unfussy about them.
And this particular Tomme certainly looks the part. Beneath its rather wild, mottled rind is a gentle, milky cheese with lovely earthy flavours and plenty of Alpine character.
A History Born from Thrift
The word tomme (or sometimes tome) doesn’t describe one particular cheese. It refers to a whole family of traditional mountain cheeses found across the French Alps, with different valleys and villages developing versions of their own.
Historically, butter was valuable, so cream would often be skimmed from the milk before the remaining milk was turned into cheese. Nothing went to waste.
The resulting Tommes tended to be smaller and more modest than some of their grander Alpine cousins. They weren’t originally made for prestige or prizes; they were practical farmhouse cheeses, made to feed people and preserve precious milk.
I rather like that something so delicious came from something so sensible.
Tomme des Alpes – Jen’s Tasting Notes
One of the first things you notice about Tomme des Alpes is its natural rind.
It can be mottled with patches of white, grey, blue or yellow mould and, if you’re not used to natural-rinded cheese, it can look a little wild. Don’t let that put you off — all that activity on the outside contributes to the wonderfully earthy character of the cheese beneath.
Cut inside and you’ll find a pale ivory paste with a firm but slightly springy texture and occasional small holes.
The flavours are gentle but certainly not boring. Fresh milk, butter and cream are joined by earthy, mushroomy notes from the rind, with hints of hay and nuts developing as you eat.
This is one of those cheeses where I’d definitely encourage you to taste from the centre towards the rind. You’ll notice the flavour becoming more earthy and intense as you go — and that’s all part of the fun.
How to Serve and Pair Tomme des Alpes
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: Keep it Alpine with a light red such as Gamay or Pinot Noir. You want something fresh enough to complement the cheese rather than overpower its gentler flavours.
- Something a little different: A dry farmhouse cider works surprisingly well, with enough freshness to balance the buttery paste and earthy rind.
- On the plate: Keep things rustic. Crusty sourdough or walnut bread, a few cornichons and perhaps some apple or pear are really all it needs.
- In the kitchen: Tomme des Alpes is a great melting cheese. Try it in a gratin, croque-monsieur or omelette — or simply melt it over potatoes. Frankly, I’m beginning to think the French Alps were invented as an excuse to eat melted cheese and potatoes.
Jen’s note: Don’t judge Tomme des Alpes by its rind. It can look mottled, mouldy and frankly a little bit wild — but that’s exactly how it should look. Those natural moulds are part of what gives the cheese its lovely earthy character. This is definitely a case of beauty being on the inside.
Buying Tomme des Alpes
- Brand or Producer: Fromagerie Beillevaire
- Product name: Tomme des Alpes
- Milk: Cow
- Country: France
- Region: Haute-Savoie
- Strength: Mild
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: Yes
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £3.20
- 500g wedge, £16.00
- Whole wheel (approx. 1.8kg), available to pre-order
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, salt, starter cultures, rennet
