LATEST NEWS
Snow in Paris Farmers blockade Specials on Panettone, Chocolates, Camemberts, Pont l’Eveque. New stock wines, Armagnac Calvados Recipe Oranges givrees
Looking forward, we have a new stock of cheese that has just landed at the airport – unfortunately the original permits managed to get lost enroute, so we will have to have a new set couriered in from Paris, before we are allowed to unpack our 200kgs of cheese. Hopefully by early next week we will have our new stock of Vacherousse, Delice and Comte back on our shelves. If you are still out in the countryside enjoying your holidays, we have lots of interesting duck and pork pates, rillettes and terrines from France which are great for casual entertaining. I enjoy sharing these with friends for an aperitif accompanied by slices of fresh baguette and some crunchy, salty cornichons. The difference between these types is: Rillettes are shredded meat packed in fat; Pate or Mousse is usually a smooth spread made with liver; and a Terrine is usually a coarse textured meat spread which will have some garlic and herbs added. These come in 78gr picnic sized tins with pop up lids and 180gr jars.
French Market News 02Jan2026 Alpine cheese-Wild smoked salmon-Blinis-Stone ground Mustard-Raspberry vinegar-Galettes des Rois in shop-2026 01 Gazpacho
There are several world class cheeses as a result of this winter aging which we stock, Comte and Gruyere are the most famous coming from either side of the border in the Jura mountains. We also have the Tomme Crayeuse from Haute Savoie, Morbier, Raclette and Emmental. All are great cheeses to eat in slices, you can pair them with fresh apples and walnuts, or you can melt them into a fondue and serve with cornichons, boiled potatoes and thin sliced cold meats.
French Market News 25Dec2025-Cognac flambe-New Year’s Eve Champagne-Picnic Camemberts-Terrines-Panettones on special-Recipe2025 46 Galette des Rois
After a record-breaking week in the shop, and online, where we sold kilos of French cheese and speciality products such as rare white Italian truffles, caviar from Italy and Madagascar, we still have a wide array of cheese for you to serve for your New Year’s Eve dinners. From the creamy and rich hand-crafted Bries, pungent Epoisses from Burgundy, to the aged Comte from the Franche Comte region, we have a cheese flavour and texture to suit every taste. We sold hundreds of panettones this season, there are a just a few panettones and Baci calendars left and we are offering these at 25% discount. There are still a couple of chocolate logs Buches de Noel, available in the shop if you are looking for the best dessert ever.
French Market News Happy Christmas Buches de Noel-Loads of Cheese-Chocolate brandy liqueurs-Fresh White truffles-Caviar-Panettone-Baci Chocolates truffles-Advent Calendar-Recipe 2025 44 Buche Noel Marrons
Inside our shop we have packed our fridges to the brim with the most beautiful French cheese, there are cheeses from across France, rich and creamy, runny and smelly, firm and full of flavoured, there is a perfect cheese for everyone. One of the specialities is the small triple cream delice with a layer of truffle cream. We also have plenty of of caviar from Italy and Madagascar. We keep stock in the shop of the Baerii from Madagascar and Oscietra; and can provide Beluga from Italy on a preorder basis.
French Market News06Dec2025-Xmas Lights-Swakopmund launch-Oysters-Raw milk Emmental-Delice truffles-Advent Calendar-Recipe 2025 44 Buche Noel Marrons
We have topped up our cheese stock in Cape Town with hundreds of kilos of cheese from Paris. We have finally received raw milk Emmental from the Fromagerie Narbief-Bizot in the Franche Comte region, located in the Jura mountains. This dairy is famous for its artisanal mountain cheeses. This Emmental is made by combining the raw milk curds with rennet followed by heating the curds, after which the cheese is pressed, then allowed to mature for at least 3 months. During this time the holes appear in the cheese as it ripens, these swell during the maturation. The irregular hole shapes are the proof of artisanal production. When you taste this artisanal Emmental, your mouth is filled with flavour, it is beautiful.
French Market News 28Nov2025-Thanksgiving-St Nicholas 6Dec-Fresh Truffles-Caviar-Vols-Aux-vents-Recipe 2025 43 Bouchees a la Reine
We are seeing lots of international visitors who have escaped the chilly northern winter and are basking in our sunny weather. Many are regular returning visitors, and we welcome them back. We are well prepared with a large stock of beautiful French and Swiss cheese arriving next week. This includes real 15 months aged Le Gruyere which we have battled to get due to the increasing strictness of import regulations for unpasteurised cheese. We have to get an additional certification done to check for certain bacteria. To do this we have to agree to take several whole wheels, in the case of Le Gruyere that is 80kgs. The same applies to Emmental, Morbier and Comte.
FrenchMarketNews 22Nov2025-G20-Catering-CPO celebrates-Crystal butter-Cider-Delice special-FrapinCognac-Advent Calendars-Recipe 2025 42Pudding de Noel
We have lots of cheese in store at present including the Truffle Cream Brie, and about 500kg arrive early December. If you are planning some events do remember to pre-order from us so that we can reserve your favourite cheeses for you. We are also expecting to receive the crunchy salt crystal butter, hopefully on Monday. This is my favourite butter from Paysan Breton. It has taken so long to get this stock, I ordered a lot and will keep it frozen so that it lasts. And apparently my French cider that I expected in August may be arriving early December. Let me know if you want to order some. Although we do not celebrate Thanksgiving here, I note there are lots of “Black Friday Specials” so I’m offering 25% off our Triple Cream Delice up to next Friday 28th – its soft creamy and delicious and I have a lot in stock.
French Market News 16Nov2025-World Cheese Awards-BeaujolaisNouveau-OssauIraty-Porcinis-LouisLatourArdeche Chardonnay-Recipe2025 41Saumon citron beurre
Good news is that if you could not make it to the Cheese Award Championships, we have a great Ossau Iraty available at our shop. This sheep’s milk cheese has a dry crust and medium firm texture. It is subtle in flavour and pairs well with Membrillo, (the quince paste from Spain) which we also stock, and a sweet wine such as our Sauternes from Bordeaux, which I really enjoy. We also have plenty of rich triple cream Delice in stock – if you wanted to make it look like the Cremeux des Aldudes, you could always be creative and decorate it with small edible flowers and sprinkle with some dried Herbes de Provence which we stock in tubs in the shop.
Frencharket News 6Nov2025-Le oussaint-Pere Lachaise-Boks inParis-Triple cream cheeses-Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc champagne-Recipe2025 40 SouffleEmmental
In our French alcohol range, just in time for the party season, we have received a new stock of the Le Mesnil Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Champagne NV. Le Mesnil is a Grand Cru vineyard located around Le Mesnil sur Oger, on the slopes of the Cotes des Blancs in the Champagne region. Matured for a minimum of three years on the lees, this 100% Chardonnay Champagne has fine bubbles, an aroma of white flowers and a hint of citrus in the taste. It is a beautiful fresh champagne and ideal for summer. Price is R900/750ml bottle.
French Market News 30Oct2025-Louvre-Ribena-Cheese platters-Christmas Panettone-Pandoro-Beluga Caviar-Recipe 2025 39 Croustade de chevre et tomates
We have just unpacked our Panettone range (which we order in June), and the shop is filled to the ceiling with these beautiful Italian Christmas cakes. We have traditional panettone with fruit filling, we have Pandoro with their angels’ wings, we have beautifully gift-wrapped Pear and chocolate panettone. We have from baby sized panettone up to the 1kg cakes. There is a size to fit each person’s wishes. Pop in and see what we have in stock, Christmas is just around the corner.
FrenchMarketNews 23Oct2025-Louvre heist-President locked up-Regional Cheeses-Vanilla range-Dutch mayo-Cassis drink-Recipe 2025 38 Crumble au Framboise
We have lots of beautiful regional French cheese in stock for you to try. From Normandie Camembert, Burgundy triple cream Delice, Jura Vacherousse, handcrafted Brie from the Vosges, Goat’s cheese buche, little fresh crottins and flavourful and dry crottins from the Loire. We have the beautiful raw milk mountain cheeses, Emmental, Comte, Morbier and Raclette from the Jura, Cantal and Bleu from the Auvergne, Roquefort from the South. Plus, real French butter from Normandie. We have this in 250gr rolls and the unsalted butter also comes in 1kg packs if you wish to make pastries.
French Market News 18Oct25-Wine Cheese pairing-Brie with Truffle-Vacherousse-Delice Triple Cream-Goat crottins-Recipe 2025 38 Pommes de terre duchesse
We have just received a large shipment of cheese in Cape Town from Paris this week. The
favourites back in stock include Brie with a layer of truffle cream, this decadent cheese has a thick creamy central layer with pieces of summer truffle; Vacherousse the rich creamy cheese with a light tangy crust from the Jura; lots of triple cream Delice, Camembert from Normandie, Brie from the Vosges, this has a 60% fat content so it is much richer than the average Bries. There is a cheese to suit every one’s taste, come in and try some.
French Market News 10Oct25-Croissant flavoured stamps-Cheese and Cocktail platters-Baci Chocolate-Recipe 2025 38 Canapes concombre caviar
Our French cheese selection, or certainly the aroma of the cheese, continues to entice clients into our beautiful little shop, and as we head to the entertaining season when the entire world remembers that our city is the most beautiful place in the world, do remember that we can also do cocktail platters for events of any size. In July we did cheese platters for the French Consul’s Bastille Day event where we served several hundred guests. We have other requests for just a small group of friends getting together. We can create a platter of bite sized pieces of cheese from any selection that you like, we can deliver it to your door If you are within an hour or so of Cape Town.
French Market News 04Oct2025-Paris Fashion-Namibia Launched-White Asparagus-Pouilly Fume Wine-Recipe 2025 36 Asperges blanches a la sauce de Cantal
The cheeses that were the most popular amongst the French community was the aged Comte with its deep taste and crunchy crystallised texture; the handcrafted Brie from the top cheese producing house of Donge, with its buttery centre and crust that has a hint of mushrooms; the Cantal Entre Deux with its tart, dense texture, the subtle Blue from Auvergne , and interestingly the St Julien, that’s the cream cheese flavoured with layers of walnut cream that appealed most to the Namibians who had never tasted French cheese before. Luckily for my Cape Town clients, all these cheeses have been available to you for years.
French Market News26Sep2025-Celebration 19 years-National Heritage Day-Namibia-Artichoke Picking Ayama Wines-Recipe 2025 35 Volaille creme d’artichaut
This week in our beautiful French Market store we have a delicious range of French cheeses for you to try, from runny and pungent, to mild and creamy, to firm and full of flavour plus a range of Blue cheeses. We have restocked on all the favourites and have a cheese to suit every taste. A new cheese to try is the firm textured goat’s crottin Picandine, this 60gr ball of firm textured goat’s cheese is crumbly and full of flavour.
French Market News 18Sep2025-Picasso unveiled Paris-Grape Harvest-Vacherousse-Truffle Brie-Delice-Morbier-Recipe 2025 35 Cuisses de canard au cassis
Back in stock are the favourites Vacherousse, Morbier, Triple cream Delice and Brie with a layer of truffle cream containing genuine pieces of black Summer truffles. Also back in stock is the St Julien aux noix, the rich cream cheese with two layers of walnut cream in the centre. We have pungent little Munsters, Epoisses in boxes and Pont L’Eveque. There is plenty of Comte, Raclette and Morbier. In order to bring in mature raw milk cheeses, we have to get extra certification and we have to order entire wheels, that’s nearly 50kgs of Comte. Luckily we have plenty of storage in a chilled warehouse at the Port.
French Market News 11Sep2025-New PM-Gun Run-Healthy Cheese-Fresh truffles-Truffle Mustard-Recipe 2025 34 Vols aux vents au saumon
Our Comte “Symphonie” is aged for 16 to 24 months in the old Fort St Antoine in the Jura mountains on the Swiss border. This old stone fort built into the mountain, is a perfect environment to allow the cheese to mature in an undisturbed environment because of its high altitude, thick walls and long tunnels. Acquired by Marcel Petite in 1952, the Fort has housed over 1 million Comte wheels. The aged Comte has a dense nutty flavour and firm almost crystallised crunchy texture. Our younger Comte has aged for 8 months and has a fruity flavour with a dense, smooth texture. Eat it with a fresh baguette and onion confit or cut in chunks with apples and walnuts. Pair this Comte with a Chardonnay such as the Louis Latour Valmoissine Chardonnay from the Vars region.
French Market News 4Sep2025-La Rentree-Roquefort-Cambozola-Guanciale-Wild boar salami-Membrillo Quince paste-Broad beans-Recipe 2025 34 Feves lardons
In our French cheese range, we have received a new stock of Camembert from Normandie, these are great to take on picnics or to bake in the oven with some garlic. We have more trays of ready sliced raclette for melting, and wheels of St Paulin, which is a mild, medium textured cheese. We have ready sliced of Roquefort on special as we have a lot in stock. A new cheese this week is Cambozola, this is a gentle flavoured creamy camembert style cheese with lines of blue gorgonzola style running through it.
French Market News 28Aug2025-Public hols crisis-Globe artichokes-Quails-Ducks & Chickens eggs-Tomme Croquant-Cheese straws-Recipe 2025 33Lemon Posset
In our French cheese range, we have a wide variety of tastes and textures to tempt you. From the mountains of France, where the sleepy cows munch on the deep, grassy pastures in the warm summer sunshine, we have a selection of cheeses to tempt you. A Tomme is the name for a small wheel of cheese (usually up to 2kgs) from the alps, some have dry crusts to protect them during the winter, more modern ones have flavours added to their crusts. We have the Tomme Crayeuse from the Haute Savoie, it has a dry crust and crumbly texture with a smooth, rounded flavour.
French Market News 21Aug2025-Carnac Megaliths-Wild flower Picnic Cheese Pate Selection-Globe artichokes- Recipe 2025 32 Biscuits au Comte
In your picnic basket I would recommend that you include some of the following cheeses in stock in our shop. Camembert from Normandie comes in a 250g box, the crust is tangy, and the centre is soft, the taste has a slight algae tang. Add a slice of Brie with truffle cream layer, this delicious combination of gentle brie with the rich creamy truffle flavoured layer is addictive. For a slightly tangier cheese add a box of Pont l’Eveque, this square shaped, light orange crust cheese is a washed rind cheese also from Normandie with a tang in the crust and a soft centre. From the Loire add a tub of the soft, mild tasting creamy goats cheese flavoured with truffle. If you like a strong and smelly cheese add a tub of Epoisses which is washed in the Marc de Bourgogne, the brandy from Burgundy. Round off with a firm textured cheese such as the Comte from the Jura, we have the 8-month matured which has rich, fruity flavour and the 16-month matured, which has a deeper nuttier flavour, and the texture is harder.
FrenchMarketNews14Aug2025-Nuclear Jelly Fish-Seafood-Tomme Crayeuse-Renosterbos goat-Trompette Mort-Frapin Cognac-Recipe 2025 31Crumble pommes Cognac
Talking of the sea and fish, I wish to remind you that we can access a whole range of fresh seafood products (excluding nuclear jelly fish). Whilst we do not keep these fresh products in the shop, we can bring them in, usually within 24 hours from an order placed. The fresh products include red drum sea bass they fly in each week from Mauritius, Loch Duart fresh salmon fillets from Scotland, salmon trout fillets, fresh oysters from the West Coast and Namibia, mussels in 2kg bags, abalone, black tiger prawns, squid, octopus, crab and fresh seaweed. Also, in the seafood range in the shop we have roe from various fish including the black lumpfish roe and red wild salmon roe (keta). We keep some caviar in stock from the Baerii sturgeon from Mauritius and Italy, Oscietra and Beluga from Italy. Do pre-order as we only keep a small quantity of the caviar in the shop.
FrenchMarketNews 7Aug2025-Fire in Aude-Womens Day RSA-Cantal Entre Deux-Sel Fou-Poivre voatsiperifery-Market Recipe 2025 30Lentilles Puy Œufs mollet
In our cheese selection this week we have received new stock of the beautiful Cantal entre Deux. This cheese weighs 8 kilos and is almost too heavy for me to carry. Similar in style to a tart cheddar but made centuries before cheddar was invented by the English (according to the French) This Cantal cheese has been made in the Cantal mountains, in the Auvergne, since before the Romans invaded France.
FrenchMarketNews31Jul2025-Festival Celtic Lorient-RawMilk cheese-Confit Canard-Fond veau- Cannele-Market Recipe2025 29Amuse Bouches truffe miel chevre
Whilst France enjoys the heat of summer, back here in Cape Town we are slowly moving towards Spring. Flowers are coming out on the side of the mountain and the temperature surged to 25C midweek before dropping back again to chilly winter. In our cheese selection this week we have cheeses to suit every palette, whether you prefer white bloomy rind cheeses such as Brie, Delice and Vacherousse to the pungent washed rind cheeses Epoisses, Munster and St Nectaire, or the deep flavoured raw milk aged mountain cheeses such as Comte, Morbier, Tomme de Savoie and Emmental which are so tasty when melted into Galettes.
FrenchMarketNews 24Jul2025-FrenchSummer-Avignon Festival-Chateau Neuf du Pape-Junior Boks-Truffle flavours-Market Recipe 2025 28 Amuse Bouches truffe
In our cheese stock this week we have an array of cheeses from across France to tempt you. Soft Bries and Camemberts from Normandie, decadently rich Delice, creamy and pungent Epoisses from Burgundy, creamy Vacherousse. Firm textured Tomme des Montagnes, Tomme de Savoie and Morbier from the Jura, raw milk Comtes, Raclette and Emmental. There is plenty of goats’ milk cheese, buche de chevre, little fresh crottins de chevre and the truly delicious creamy goat’s cheese spread flavoured with truffle. In the blue cheese range, we have salty Roquefort, medium flavoured Bleu d Auvergne, buttery textured Fourme d’Ambert and crumbly Stilton (from across the Channel). Our sheep’s milk cheese includes firm textured, hand crafted Ossau Iraty from the Basque region and Manchego from across the border in Spain. Plus, classic aged Irish cheddar and Italian Parmigiano Reggiano.
French Market News 17Jul2025-Tour de France-Catering-Raclette-Salmon Roe-Boutargue-Raspberry vinegar-Market Recipe 2025 27 Amuse Bouche de brie
We have loads of French cheese in stock from soft and creamy Delice to smelly Epoisses, lots of different mountain cheeses including Raclette, Emmental, Comte, Gruyere and Tomme de Savoie that you can melt into fondues and Tartiflettes (potato bakes topped with cheese). There is a cheese to suit every palate.