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Bonjour French Market Friends, No surprises that this week, Time Out readers have voted Cape Town as top city in the world for 2025, that’s why we all live here and you can even find French cheese. News from France this week is that the toughest, single-handed,...

We have decided to offer a “New Year’s Sale” with discounts up to 25% on several of our cheeses. These discounts apply to specific cheeses for a few days, including Mont D’Or, Epoisses, Reblochon, Pasteurised Brie, Bleu d’Auvergne, Buche de Chevre, Brie with truffle cream, triple cream Delice, and Vacherousse. We also have a special 25% discount on our remaining Galette des Rois which we have now deep frozen to preserve them in good condition. 

In our soft cheese stock we still have plenty of Vacherousse, the gentle flavoured and soft centred, creamy cheese with a slightly orange crust. We have lots of the triple cream Delice cheese, which is a totally decadent cheese made with extra fresh cream and quite addictive. We have lots of Epoisses, the gooey and pungent cheese from the Burgundy area. We have plenty of Brie with a layer of truffle cream, the delicate flavour of the brie is balanced by the rich taste of the truffle. Plus many more cheeses for you to explore, so come and visit the shop.

For your cheese platter, our unique, pyramid shaped Pouligny St Pierre is at its best at the moment, this is a classic French raw milk goat’s cheese, it has a depth of flavour but not overly pungent on the taste, and a creamy texture as it warms up in our local sun. With the Pouligny I would also serve an authentic Camembert de Bocage from Normandie or a Brie from Meaux, both are full of flavour. Then a soft smelly cheese such as a little Munster from Alsace or an Epoisses from Burgundy. Then I add the mountain cheeses such as Reblochon, Morbier and Comte. To finish off the platter I add a slice of blue cheese such as Roquefort, Bleu d Auvergne or some Stilton from England. Serve this with freshly baked baguettes that we bring in frozen from France and you just bake at home.

In our wines and spirits section we have some Louis Roederer Cristal, some Louis Roederer vintage champagne and some Louis Roederer Rose champagnes. My favourite is the Cristal, it just tastes amazing. We also have Pol Roger and Schroeder Schlosser champagnes. These champagnes are ideal for celebrating the Festive season. We have a wide variety of wines and spirits including Calvados, Armagnac and Cognac, Gin, Sherries, Ports, Vermouth, Black Forest Kirsch and Poire William, Marsala and Prosecco. In addition we have Creme de Cassis from Dijon. We received some Louis Roederer Chassagne Montrachet which is a top class chardonnay from Burgundy. We also received some La Parde, Chateau Haut-Bailly, vintage 2017.

We have the mini triple cream delice layered with truffle, these come in individual 100g boxes and make a really special gift for someone who loves truffles. We received some Livarot, which is a speciality washed rind cheese with distinctive bands of reeds wrapped around it. Also known as the captain’s cap as the shape and patterns resemble a French Captain’s cap. We have received some St Marcellin, these small 80g cheeses are rich and creamy and come in individual dishes. We have received the Mont D’Or, this is a 350g circular cheese with a soft surface. These unique cheeses are wrapped around with pine bark, this gives them a unique flavour. Many people like to warm the Mont D’Or up with the addition of some wine or slices of garlic. Our Mont D’Or comes with a dinky bottle of Vin d’Arbois, the local regional wine, so that you can make a genuine fondue from the region of the Mont D’Or.  

In the shop we currently have about 200kg of cheese and another 300+kgs are landing this weekend. This shipment includes various speciality cheeses that I bring in for the Festive Season, including Mont D Or, little triple cream delice with truffles, Puligny St Pierre and plenty more. I will send out more details next week. Also new in stock this week is wild caught smoked salmon from the North Pacific, this beautiful salmon has a different texture and deeper flavour to farmed salmon.

We have lots of French cheese in stock including the favourites such as Brie with Truffle cream, Vacherousse, Brie de Meaux, Morbier, Comte and Reblochon to name just a few. For Festive Season presents, do remember that we have the delicious Baci Italian chocolate Advent calendars, these make a wonderful and long-lasting gift (if you have strong will power) as there is a chocolate for each day until the 24th.  We also have a million Panettones, from little 100 gram stocking fillers to 1kg family sized cakes. Another treat for Christmas is Caviar, we have stock from Italy and Madagascar. We also have stock of the Loch Fyne farmed Scottish salmon.

Today we received a 300kg shipment of French cheese, which required a lot of sorting and organising, apart from our clients in our shop, we are also supplying some cruise liners that are docking here soon. It is always so exciting to unpack the shipment. It contains loads of Brie with truffles, creamy Vacherousse, rich Delice, pungent Epoisses, Brie de Meaux, Camembert from Normandy, salt crystal butter from Bordeaux, little fresh crottins, lots of Emmental, Reblochon, Morbier and Raclette. Do come in and enjoy some of these delicious treats. We spent the rest of the day preparing the buffet for the celebration of the Beaujolais Nouveau celebration tomorrow evening organised by the French SA Chamber of Commerce.

This week I suggest that you try some of our authentic Camembert du Bocage from Normandie. The flavour of this cheese is reminiscent of the slight tang of the coastline pastures, where the deep pastures give the Normande cows a rich creamy milk. I also recommend our triple cream Delice from Burgundy, this subtle flavoured cheese is made with additional cream which gives it a richer texture. It can be served on a cheese board or as a side dish to a dessert, similar to a crème fraiche. Another popular creamy cheese is the Vacherousse, made with milk from cows grazing in the Jura mountains. This cheese has a light orange crust with a slight tang and a gooey, subtle flavoured centre. In the firmer textured cheeses, I recommend the hand-crafted unpasteurised sheep’s milk Ossau Iraty from the Basque region in the Pyrenees. It even has the Basque emblem engraved in the crust of the cheese. This cheese is similar to Manchego but with a greater depth of flavour.

In our cheese range this week, from the Calvados region in Normandie is the Pont l’Eveque. This cheese has been produced in the region since the 12th century by the local monks. This square, cobble stone shaped cheese has a light orange crust and gentle flavour. It is a speciality washed rind cheese named after the town where the local Bishops used the town’s bridge to cross. It has been awarded a PDO status which guarantees that the cheese has been produced in the traditional washed rind method from rich creamy milk sourced from dairies within 50km radius of the town. Serve with some figs and a strong flavoured red wine.

We received plenty more cheese this week including the popular Brie layered with truffle cream. This delicious cheese is quite addictive with the two layers of Brie encasing a thick layer of cream laced with black Truffles. The flavour of the brie is a great complement to the rich taste of the black truffle. We also have a large wedge of raw milk Emmental from the Vosges. This designated Superior Lable Rouge Emmental cheese has irregular holes and a dense texture. Ideal for slicing and serving on a cheese board or for melting in dishes such as Croque Monsieur or over a potato or vegetable bake. We have lots of individual cheeses such as Camembert and Pont L’Eveque from Normandie, Munster from Alsace, and little goat’s crottins.

This week our cheese flew in direct with Air France and is safely ensconced in our fridges. We have lots of stock pf everyone’s favourite cheeses including the decadent triple cream Delice, pungent washed rind Epoisses from Burgundy, Munster from Alsace, Pont l’Eveque from Normandie. Lots of little Camemberts and Reblochons, wheels of Brie de Meaux, Tomme de Savoie, huge wedges of Beaufort d’Ete, Comte du jura, Morbier and Raclette. There is a cheese to suit everyone’s taste.

Air France will also be bringing in our cheese direct to Cape Town departing today, so we should have our full range in next week. This weekend we have 
plenty of Brie de Meaux and Camembert from Normandie. Morbier from the Jura, Comte from the France Comte, Cantal Entre Deux, Bleu and Fourme d’Ambert from the Auvergne, Roquefort from Occitania, Emmental from the Vosges, Buche de chevre from the Loire Atlantique, Tete de Moine, Le Gruyere and Appenzeller from Switzerland. Come in and taste.

Apart from all our amazing French cheeses in stock this week, the latest news from our shop is the first of the season’s fresh white asparagus – please pre-order as it sells out immediately. This is grown on the same farm as our violet artichokes, which are still in season. From the same farm Ayama, I have brought in some chilli oil and some of their wines, Grenache blanc, Viognier, Wooded Vermentino and a Rose. I thought it would be fun to pair their fresh produce with their wine. New in our frozen range are Profiteroles filled with cream and covered in Belgian chocolate, made in Belgium. You defrost for about +30 minutes, and they are ready to eat. This is a really easy dessert to serve at a lunch or a cocktail party or just enjoy as treat with a glass of Champagne.

I know the Festive season seems a long way off but do contact me if you wish to have speciality cheeses for your December parties. These include favourites such as the Mont D’or cheese (Vacherin) 350gr units, little triple cream cheese with a layer of truffles 70gr units from Burgundy, heart shaped camembert style cheese from Normandie, Pouligny St Pierre the pyramid shaped raw milk goat’s cheese from the Loire, the Banon wrapped in vine leaves. These specialities usually come in limited numbers so the more advance notice I have, the greater the chance that I can fulfil all your orders. 

Apart from all these delicious Alpine cheeses, we do have lots of soft and ripe Brie de Meaux, Camembert from Normandie, creamy Vacherousse, pungent Munster and St Nectaire, Morbier and Ossau Iraty, Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert and Bleu d Auvergne. Buche de chevre and St Maure. A popular cheese is the St Julien a soft cream cheese with layers of walnut cream running through it. Come in and taste a new cheese.

Newly arrived stock this week includes several goat’s milk cheeses from the Loire region. We have some Crottins de Chavignol AOC. This small, white, ball-shaped cheese made from raw goat’s milk comes from the area of the tiny town of Chavignol. The flavour develops as it ages, and the cheese gets drier and harder. The crust starts out as white then develops a blue grey colouring when it is mature. Also, from the Loire region we have the soft, fresh crottins de Chevre made from pasteurised goat’s milk. These small rounds of goat’s cheese are gentler flavoured and can be eaten as is or try baking on some bread and drizzled with honey. We have the buche de chevre which is a log shaped goat’s cheese with a white crust and crumbly centre, and we have a small buche St Maure which are small log shaped goat’s cheese with a soft texture and dusted with ash.

This week we have plenty of cheese in stock from all the great cheese making regions in France; handcrafted cheeses from Normandie and Brie, Alpine cheeses from the Jura, the Auvergne, the Franche Comte and the Vosges. There is every type of texture and taste available. We have some Tete de Moine from across the border in Switzerland. This unique cheese is named after a monk’s head due to its shape. A special tool is used to cut the floret shaped slices of cheese, which make a most attractive display on a cheese board.

Our new stock of cheese flew in this week. We are full to the brim with over 150 kilos of French cheese. Back in stock are all the favourites, from washed rind (pungent) Epoisses, Munster and Pont l’Eveque. White bloomy rind cheeses such as the award-winning Brie de Meaux, Camembert from Normandie, Brie with truffle cream filling and Vacherousse. Unique raw milk cheeses from the Alps including Reblochon, Tomme de Savoie, Morbier, Emmental and 16 month aged Comte from Fort Antoine. From across the border in Switzerland we have received aged Appenzeller and Gruyere and unique Tete de Moine. There is plenty of cheese to tempt you. Come in and taste something new.

In our cheeses range this week, from the Auvergne region we have Saint Nectaire AOC, much loved by the French, this cheese is not so well known outside of France. Records of the production date back hundreds of years, made in small 1,5kg wheels from Salers cow’s milk, this cheese is washed in brine regularly, then it is aged on straw mats. It starts with an orange crust that turns to grey as it ages. The medium soft texture has a distinctive aroma and taste. From Burgundy we have received more stock of small tubs of Epoisses. This iconic pungent, washed rind cheese is washed with the Marc de Bourgogne, the brandy from Burgundy. The texture is creamy, the taste is gentler than the aroma.

This week we have received a new stock of cheese from France. The unique Crottins de Chavignol AOC are small, hard balls made from unpasteurised goat’s milk, specifically from the town of Chavignol in the Sancerre region of the Loire, where the cheese has been made in the same manner since the 1500s. The taste is quite intense and develops as the cheese ages. We also received the Buche de St Maure, a soft goat’s cheese log dusted with ash, that is a complete contrast in texture and taste to the Crottin and we received the larger fresh goat’s buche. I suggest serve these with freshly baked bread to enjoy the natural flavour.  
 
Cheese pairing is always recommended with a wine from the same region. The Sancerre wine is made from sauvignon blanc grapes grown in Sancerre region of the Loire valley. This is a great pairing for goats’ cheese. We have the Comte Lafond Sancerre produced by Baron de la Doucette winery. It is excellent, quite different to the local Sauvignon blancs, very subtle and smooth.

We also have an amazing array of French cheese for you this week. I find the most popular cheese selected by my female clients are the Triple cream Delice, its rich soft and quite delicate in flavour, the Vacherousse which is creamy with a slightly more tangy flavour and orange coloured crust, the Brie with the layer of truffle cream which is addictive if you like truffles. In the firmer textures the most popular are the raw milk cheeses, the Morbier with a layer of ash that gives a distinctive taste to the cheese and the Comte which has been aged 16 months, this gives the cheese an intense fruity taste.

In our little shop we have a wonderful array of cheese available this week. Now is the time to enjoy the Alpine cheeses such as Comte from the Jura, Beaufort from the Franche Comte, Tomme from the Savoie, Emmental from the Vosges, Le Gruyere and Appenzeller from Switzerland. These are all raw milk cheeses which are made in exactly the same method as in the ancient days when there was no pasteurisation of the milk. Each one has a unique flavour, the milder one is the Tomme de Savoie which has been aged for a minimum of 6 months, this is a good cheese served at breakfast as it has less pungency than the others. Next is the 16-month aged Comte with a lovely fruity dense taste. The flavour deepens with the Beaufort and the Appenzeller and Le Gruyere are intense. I suggest treat yourself to a platter of small slices of each one to compare.

Back here, in our shop this week we have lots of delicious cheese to tempt you. In the soft cheese range we have lots of gooey Brie de Meaux, rich triple cream Delice, soft Vacherousse from the Jura, smelly little Munsters and Epoisses, individual boxed Camemberts which make a beautiful gift. There is plenty of Raclette to melt in front of the fire. I recommend that you also try some of the Swiss Le Gruyere, our one is aged for a minimum of 15 months and has a crunchy texture and great depth of flavour. This is one of our premium cheeses and nothing like the plastic wrapped products found in supermarkets.