As I sit here in Pangbourne today there is a definite feeling of spring in the air. The sun is shining and everyone is walking through the village with a bounce in their step. Personally I don’t have any preferences between the seasons but I could just do without all of the rain! We have a couple of Labradors and for the last few months every time they go out into the garden they come back in looking as though they gone through a muddy car wash. It feels as though we are constantly wiping up paw prints and trying to avoid them shaking brown water all over the walls. But that’s the joy of living in the UK, and I wouldn’t be anywhere else!
April is one of my favourite months (and not only because my birthday lies within these 30 days). It’s a steady month for us in the shop, cheese judging hasn’t quite got underway but Ali has spent a few days with the Guild of Fine Food, in her capacity as a Great Taste Awards Judge. She always comes home having tried an amazing array of products and whilst I try to wheedle any potential cheese stars out of her, she never lets on as to what she’s tasted (usually because it’s a blind tasting and she doesn’t actually know). My first cheese judging of the year will be in a couple of weeks at the Artisan Cheese Awards in Melton Mowbray. They are lovely awards to judge at because the producers are all British and Irish based and there’s a cap on the size of company that can enter so I get to try a host of cheeses that are all made in small batches. I’m also off to the Farm Shop & Deli Show on Monday – both of our shops (Cheese Etc and The Loose Larder) have been shortlisted in the awards which makes it quite exciting – but I also like to attend so that I can meet up with potential new suppliers and catch up with our existing ones as well.
But on with the cheesy news! We’ve had some guest cheeses in the counter over the last few weeks which seem to have gone down really well. I’m always really keen to learn about new cheeses so if anyone has any ideas of cheeses that we could feature please do drop us an email. I can’t promise that they will all make an appearance but I will do my best to get some of them in.
I’m going to be showcasing some new French cheeses in the shop in May, namely Mimolette and Saint-Paulin. Mimolette is a hard cheese which comes in a ball (it looks a bit like a cantaloupe melon!). The inside of the cheese is orange due to the addition of Annatto (the same colouring used in Red Leicester) but the outside is grey-ish and very pitted due to the presence of cheese mites. This might sound a bit gross but the French have used these microscopic mites in cheesemaking since the Middle Ages. They usually dwell in the soil and feed on fungi. In a cheesemaking scenario they are placed on the surface of the cheese and then attack the outer layer, leaving behind flavourful dust that gives Mimolette its distinct flavour and creating its thick rind in the process. Proper regulation and care for mite colonies in the cave is an essential part of Mimolette production, as otherwise, the cheese won’t mature correctly. It is a truly fascinating cheese and completely mite-free by the time it hits our cheese counter.
Saint-Paulin on the other hand is a semi-hard, pressed, uncooked cheese with a mild flavour. It has an attractive yellow-orange rind and a soft texture and lightly salted flavour. Saint-Paulin is kept in the ripening cellar for five weeks, during which time it develops a mild, delicate flavour on the palate, with a hint of milk. It is similar in style to a French Port-Salut or a Danish Esrom. I’m really keen to see how both will go down with our customers.
We got married in May 2014 and so are about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! I can’t quite think where the last 10 years have gone but I wouldn’t change anything for the World.
This cake is responsible for us becoming cheesemongers and I have to say it is the best job on the planet. I love coming to work every day. Not only do I get to talk about cheese with our customers all day long but I then get to go home and spend the evening with my best friend – life doesn’t get much better than that.
