20th January

What’s so special about the 20th January? Well it depends on your outlook of life…

– In the USA it’s Inauguration Day so President Elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office. It’s also National Disc Jockey Day
– In Mali it’s Army Day so the armed forces are honoured for bringing peace & stability to the country
– In Guinea Bissau it’s National Heroes Day which marks the Anniversary of the assassination of Amílcar Cabral

But here in Pangbourne, and in cheese shops all over the World it is National Cheese Lovers Day! At this time of year we always encourage our customers to try something new. That’s why we have created the Lucky Dip Box. This box contains a box of crackers, a jar of chutney and a variety of cheeses. Until we start making up a box we have no idea what’s going to go in it. All we know is that it will contain a fabulous mixture of hards, softs, blues… anything and everything! Why not take a punt and maybe discover a new favourite?

What else is happening in Pangbourne? As a food shop we are deemed to be an essential business. That means that we are open Monday – Saturday, 9am til 4pm. In order to keep our customer and staff safe we are restricting the number of people in the shop at any time and we are asking that everyone who is able to wears a face mask. We try and serve people as quickly as we can but sometimes there is a short queue outside and we are so very grateful that people wait outside until we can let them in. We are so very lucky to be based in such a supportive village and we are all working together for the local community.

Our free local delivery service is a year round service that we offer and so that remains unchanged, as does the fact that we are still able to send items out all over the country via our overnight courier service.

We’ve seen a lot of interest both in store and online in melting cheeses. Nothing beats some hot cheese and a glass of wine in front of a fire – that’s why the Swiss and French love their Après Ski! We stock Raclette, Reblochon and all the cheeses you need for a Fondue. You can find recipes on our website of pop in and ask any of us in the shop.

Lastly can I say Happy New Year to everyone – I know I’m a bit late to the party but this month seems to be flying past at a break neck speed!