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This week we have plenty of cheese in stock. I suggest you try some Reblochon, a raw milk cheese from the Savoie. It comes in a small wheel with a dry crust and creamy inside. Made with the evening milking from cows that graze on the summer Alpine pastures, this cheese has a pronounced aroma and a great texture. It can be eaten in its natural state or baked in various traditional dishes, served in the winter, to warm you up after a day skiing. The most famous dish is Tartiflette, a combination of layers of potato and bacon, topped with a whole reblochon that is baked in the oven and oozes out over the potatoes. Another classic mountain cheese from Savoie is Beaufort d’Eté from Beaufortrain. The milk for this cheese comes from the 
Tarine and Abondance cows, that graze in summer on the rich grass and herbs on the alpine slopes. These cheeses can weigh from 20 up to 70kgs. It takes 11L of milk to make 1 kg of cheese- that’s an awful lot of milk! This cheese has an unmistakeable concave back shape, made from pressing the cheese in a beach wood press. The cheese is usually matured for 12 months. The texture is firm, the crust dry with a unique aroma and the taste is dense.

Also back in stock is Ossau-Iraty, this is the famous sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque region, where the hilly pastures are well suited to sheep. The cheese has a firm texture and dry crust. The flavour has depth but is not too pungent. In type it is similar to Manchego but more handcrafted. If you like creamy and rich flavoured cheese we have plenty of raw milk Camembert and Brie de Meaux in stock. For creamy and milder flavours, I recommend the Triple cream Delice and the Vacherousse from the Jura. In the goat’s cheese range we have buche de chevre, crottins de chavignol, which is hard, raw goat’s milk little balls and fresh mild flavoured goat’s crottin. There are plenty more cheeses for you to come in and explore. Also, remember that we are in the locally grown, fresh black winter truffle season, and this only lasts for a couple more weeks so let me know if you wish to order some. They are great, shaved over a bowl of creamy pasta. These need to be pre-ordered as stock is limited.

This week we received a large stock of cheese from Paris as we are supplying the French Embassy in Pretoria, and the French Consulates in JNB and CPT with the cheese for their 14th of July celebrations. It is always exciting to unpack the cheese and see them safely stowed away. We restocked on all our favourites. From Burgundy we have received a new stock of Epoisses, the famous pungent cheese that is washed with Marc de Bourgogne the brandy from Burgundy. We received new stock of raw milk Morbier with its distinctive layer of ash from the Jura. We received a Petit Cantal entre deux, which is a bit of a misnomer as this cheese weighs 8kgs. The normal size Cantal weighs 4 times this size. We also have stock of the St Julien, a soft cream cheese that is layered with walnuts plus many other favourites. Do come in and try some.

Brie de Meaux is a raw milk cheese that has been made in the region of Brie to the East of Paris since the 7th Century, where it was perfected by the local monks and made famous by the Kings of France, who served it at their banquets. In the 1800s at the Congress of Vienna, following the fall of the French Empire, Master statesman the Duke of Talleyrand held a competition of cheeses from the nations attending the Congress, and Brie de Meaux was nominated the winner of this competition and named King of cheese. Our brie de Meaux is still made in the traditional manner, hand ladled into the moulds, then rubbed with dry salt, after which the white bloomy rind develops. The cheese needs to ripen for a minimum of 4 weeks and is ready to be served once the centre of the cheese is soft. The aromas are described as white mushroom and cauliflower. Note there is a big difference in flavour between an original Brie de Meaux AOP and a pasteurised milk Brie. The pasteurised Brie is still soft and creamy, but the flavour is far milder. For wine pairing a Pinot Noir is recommended.

In our shop this week, from the old town of Munster in the Vosge region of Alsace we have two types of Munster cheese this week. The Benedictine monks who founded their Abbey in the 7th century in the town of Munster, created this style of washed rind cheese and conserved it in the cellars of their Abbey. Made with creamy milk from cows that graze on the summer mountain pastures, this original raw milk 125g Petit Munster made by Fischer is soft in the centre with a distinctive moist orange rind. This is produced by washing the cheese and aging it over a period of at least 5 weeks. This cheese has a great depth of flavour and strong aroma. The more recent pasteurised 200gr Munster has a milder flavour and aroma. Munster is often served with cumin, well-cooked rye bread and a glass of the local Riesling wine.

This week we have received a new stock of cheese including unique goats’ cheese from the Loire region. The Crottins de Chavignol AOP s is a small, firm textured ball of cheese made from raw goat’s milk with a great depth of flavour from the town of Chavignol. The Saint Maure is a smooth goat’s milk cheese dusted with ash. We also received some St Marcellin, the soft textured small cow’s milk cheese that comes in its own little dish from the town of the same name. We have a new stock of St Nectaire, this is a medium firm textured cheese that has a washed rind. The crust is moist and pungent with an orange colour which darkens to grey as it ages.

New cheese in this week is the Tomme Jurassienne flavoured with black summer truffle. This alpine cheese made from creamy cow’s milk produced in the Jura region, and black summer truffles, has a firm texture and a lovely depth of flavour, there are flecks of truffle in the cheese. We also received butter from Bordeaux made with salt crystals from the Ile de Guerande. If you like salted butter then you should try this, just spread on a baguette and eat it. We also received a good stock of Le Gruyere aged 15 months and Appenzeller aged 10 months from the Alps in Switzerland.

In our shop this week we have received lots more cheese. One new product is packs of ready-grated cheese Fondue Savoyarde. Containing raw milk alpine cheese from the Savoyarde region, including Abondance which is very rare here. To prepare, all you do is rub the inside of your casserole pot with raw garlic, warm up a cup of white wine, once simmering you slowly add the cheese and stir in until it has melted. Ideally stir the cheese in a figure of eight. Serve this with chunks of our crisp baguette. Also, from the Alps this week we have received a new stock of Beaufort d’Ete. This cheese is one of the most famous of the French Alpine cheeses, with its dense texture, concave shaped back and stunning flavour. From the Pyrenees we have received a new stock of Ossau Iraty, the firm textured sheep’s milk cheese with the dry outside and dense texture. The nutty flavour is subtle and pairs well with a walnut bread and a Cabernet Franc such as our Comthe de Thun Cabane 2014.

Friends that prefer mild, gentle flavours, most popular are the pasteurised Brie, triple cream Delice and creamy Vacherousse and firmer Tomme de Savoie. For middle range tastes that enjoy more complexity and depth but not overly pungent, go for the soft and runny raw milk Camembert and Brie De Meaux, firm textured alpine cheeses Comte, Morbier and Emmental. For the knock your socks off cheese, go for the washed rind cheeses such as Epoisses, Munster and Pont l’Eveque. For friends with allergies to cow’s milk, select the Manchego and Roquefort sheep’s milk cheese, the goat’s cheese buche, crottins or the Dutch goat gouda. Finally, what to select for the blue cheeses? Our Bleu d Auvergne has a soft texture and medium flavour, the Italian gorgonzola is gooey and pungent, the roquefort is strong and salty, our current Stilton is ripe, strong and has a texture of fudge, it is amazing (serve it with Port). I hope this helps to guide you in our selection, you are always welcome to taste the cheese first, if you are not sure which you prefer.

This week we have authentic cheeses from across France, each one has a unique aroma, taste, and texture. There is lots of creamy Brie de Meaux from the East of Paris, Camemberts from Normandie, Epoisses from Burgundy, Munster from Alsace, Comte from the Jura, Bleu from Auvergne, Tomme and Reblochon from the Savoie. We received a new stock of Saint Marcellin, the small, very creamy raw cow’s milk cheese in a clay bowl. In goat’s cheese we have logs of buche de chevre and St Maure which is a small log of goat’s cheese dusted with ash. We have the little, fresh, and soft crottins de chevre and a few Crottin de Chavignol, a hard, raw milk goat’s cheese shaped in a small ball. Please ask to taste if you are not sure of what you would like to select. On special this week are the 150gr raw milk Camemberts from Normandie, they are ripe and full of flavour. We have a lot in stock, and I would like them to go to good homes.

Back here at the tip of Africa, our cheese stock finally cleared customs and all the favourite cheeses are in the shop. Whilst we do everything to ensure the continuous supply of all our cheese, sometimes we encounter delays which are outside of our control, I do apologise for any of you that were looking for your favourites in the last couple of weeks. In the shop today are Brie with Truffle cream, Vacherousse, fresh goat’s cheese crottins, Morbier and Comte from the Jura, Reblochon and Tomme from the Savoie, Emmental from the Vosges, Camemberts and Pont l’Eveque from Normandie, Brie from Meaux, Munster from Alsace, aged Le Gruyere and Appenzeller from Switzerland and many more. I love it when our shelves are packed to the brim!

New cheese in stock today is a semi-firm textured Goat’s cheese made by Grand’Or in Holland. This Gouda style cheese has been made with pasteurised goat’s milk. The cheese has a pale white colour and a mild flavour. It can be sliced or cut in small blocks and added to a fresh green salad, or pair with honey or an onion chutney. It is ideal for people who prefer not to consume cow’s milk products. Another cheese we have received from Holland is the famous Edam red ball. This is a pasteurised cow’s milk cheese that was named after the Dutch town of Edam where the cheese market has taken place since the 1500s. The cheeses were traditionally carried into the market on flat boats. Edam cheese is wrapped in red wax because this cheese was designed to last during the long sailing ship voyages around the world. The cheese texture is medium firm and has a pleasant, subtle flavour.

We have also received a new stock of Brie de Meaux AOC and raw milk Camembert from Normandie AOC. Made in the traditional way, these Camembert cheeses can only be made with milk from the local Normande breed of cows. I am often asked the difference between Camemberts and Bries, whilst they both have slightly different white bloomy rinds, and soft centres that become runny as they age, the flavour of the specific cow’s milk and the pastures where they graze also make them taste very different. Camembert has a more tangy almost algae flavour (I think this is because the pastures are near the coast). Camemberts are usually sold as individual small sizes, whereas Brie de Meaux is usually made in a 3kg wheel.

In our firmer textured alpine cheeses we have received some Beaufort d’Ete from the Franche Comte, this unique cheese has a great depth of flavour and dense, rich texture, the cows graze on the alpine pastures during summer time. Rated as one of their most favourite cheeses by the French. We also have plenty of other cheeses for you to enjoy. Come in and taste a new one this week.

One of the oldest cheeses recorded in France is Cantal cheese from the Cantal Mountains in Auvergne region. This region Auvergne is named after the Arvernii, an important Gallic tribe that ruled a large region of south and western France, prior to the arrival of the Romans. They had a strong agricultural heritage and large herds pf cows. The Cantal cheese is made from milk drawn from the Salers breed of cows, a sturdy race that suited the mountainous region of Cantal. Cantal is only made with milk drawn from Salers cows that are fed hay cut between November and April. This cheese has a distinctive tart flavour, which is similar to cheddar. In fact, the French will have it that they taught the English how to make cheddar cheese. Cantal is made in a cylindrical chape with a dense yellow texture and dry pungent crust. The normal size is about 40kgs and the smaller version, referred to as a Petit Cantal weighs 8 kgs. It was introduced to table of the French King Louis XIV by one of his Marshals, The Duke Henri de Saint Nectaire who came from that region.

Now is the time to make winter dishes using Alpine cheeses, because these cheeses are ideal for melting and have lots of flavour. We have raw milk Emmental from the Vosges region; this cheese has a Lable Rouge status which signifies its superior quality and taste. You can grate it over various prepared dishes and grill it to make a golden-brown topping. You can slice it and make toasted sandwiches. You can add it to a bechamel sauce to make a thick creamy cheese sauce for vegetables, especially cauliflower.

Another famous dish is Fondue, which literally means “melted”. The dish is usually prepared with several of our firm textured Alpine cheeses such as Comte, Gruyere, Emmental, Raclette and Appenzeller. Usually one combines 3 different cheeses, grated, and melted with some white wine, in a heavy based saucepan that has been rubbed with some garlic. The Fondue is usually eaten by dipping in crunchy pieces of baguette on the end of a long fork. It is fun for the kids as well, as there is a tradition that the first person who loses their crust in the pot has to pay a forfeit.We also have stock pf ready-prepared Camembert au Four, with garlic ready to bake. The 250g container is ideal as a mini fondue and the garlic adds a great flavour. Just pop it in the oven until gooey and share with your friends.

Back home, post Easter weekend, we are now heading into to Autumn. The air is cooling down and the rain is falling more frequently. This change in season is so exciting as it heralds the arrival of fresh porcinis from the pine forests in the Eastern Cape. We received our first batch this week and they are flying out the door. Also arriving this week is a new stock of Reblochon from the Savoie, Epoisses from Burgundy, Comte from the Jura, Brie from Meaux, mature Appenzeller and Tete de Moine from Switzerland, plus plenty more delicious cheeses.

For your cheese platters, we have about 100kgs of cheese in stock, there is loads of French cheese including individual Camemberts from Normandie, creamy Vacherousse, brie layered with truffle cream, Beaufort d’Ete from the Alps, Manchego from Spain, Gorgonzola from Italy plus many other cheeses. After a long absence we have received a small stock of duck liver mousse from France, this rich liver pate is ideally served on slices of freshly baked baguette. We have also received some fresh black Uncinato truffles from the mountain regions in La Norcia in Italy. These truffles have a deep aroma and weigh approximately 26 grammes, they will make the most amazing dish served with fresh pasta and a cream sauce.

We received a new shipment of 100kgs of all our favourite French cheeses from Paris, in time for Easter special meals next weekend. Back in stock are the top favourites such as the Brie with the layer of truffle cream. The triple cream Delice from Burgundy which is rich and decadent. We have beautiful Camemberts from the farms in Normandie, in individual wooden boxes which are ideal for cheese boards, we also have large 1kg wheels of Camemberts, which we can slice to suit our client’s preferences. We have 3kg wheels of Brie which are great for large parties. We have received Epoisses from Burgundy, this is probably the smelliest of the French cheese.

In our shop this week we have a selection of French and other countries cheeses, including gooey Brie, plenty of buche de chevre, Epoisses, Morbier, Pont l’Eveque, Bleu from the Auvergne, Raclette, Emmental, Ossau Iraty, Reblochon, Truffle flavoured Cheddar, Le Gruyere and Appenzeller from Switzerland and many more. In our Italian truffle range we are in the Spring White truffle Season until mid April and the Black Summer truffle season has just started. The Spring white truffle has a strong aroma and light beige to reddish ochre colour, The skin is almost smooth, unlike the other truffles which have a more knobbly exterior. The Black summer truffle has the mildest aroma of all the truffles. Remember that you need to preorder the truffles 48 hours ahead.

Back in stock this week is some Truffle Brie. This cheese is made with two layers of Brie with a central layer of a cream of truffles. It tastes amazing, as does the Truffle flavoured Cheddar from Cheddar Gorge. Also from England, we received new stock of Stilton cheese. This has come in as one large cheese, which we cut into slices and some smaller (mini) 1kg whole Stiltons, which are beautiful for a cheese board. We also have a new stock of Buche de chevre, this goat’s cheese is made in the shape of a log, with a dry crust on the outside and chalky texture in the centre. We also received wheels of Epoisses from Burgundy, this cheese is washed with Marc de Bourgogne (brandy) and is probably one of our smelliest cheeses, therefore highly regarded by the French, as a top representative of the washed-rind style.

Having done my Year End, the results were amazing, we are now above where we were pre-pandemic, so yes, lots of hard work has paid off and I wish to sincerely thank you, my very loyal customers, for supporting my business, not only through the last year but also through the Pandemic which enabled myself and my team to keep going, and many have been there from the start in 2006 when I set up a trestle table at the Biscuit Mill and offered some French cheese. Even the New York Times thought my stall looked good enough to use as the main image of an article about the Old Biscuit Mill in 2011. I thought it would be fun for a couple of weeks, now 18 years later I can really see that we are unique and well established.

We have received some exceptional Balsamic vinegars from Modena (IGP). Made by Malpighi, one of the premium suppliers of Balsamic vinegar since 1850. The range is made with the must of grapes from their vines, mixed with their in-house produced wine vinegar and aged for several years in wood barrels. We have the “1850” Balsamic Vinegar of Modena dressing made from the cooked must of Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes aged in barrels for 6 years. This has a sweet and sour, velvety and intense flavour. The density is measure at 1,34. It comes in a small bottle with a beautiful, antique style red seal and is packaged in an elegant box. Makes a great idea for a gift. The second Balsamic vinegar from Modena is the Gold label, made from 80% cooked grape must and 20% red wine vinegar, aged for 15years in wooden barrels. This vinegar has a balanced sourness and high density. The colour is dark brown and the fragrance round and full. The density is measured at 1.34. Another great gift idea.

This week in the shop, amongst all our beautiful cheeses, we have received new stock of Brie de Meaux. This “king” of the French cheese is made with raw milk which gives a great depth of flavour. For many centuries, unpasteurised Brie was created in the town of Meaux, in the region of Brie to the Northeast of Paris. The production is carefully managed to ensure that the Brie de Meaux remains authentic in flavour and texture. It is matured on straw mats which gives it a distinctive straw patterned surface. In addition, a completely different style of French cheese is the modern St Julien aux noix, a soft cream cheese made with layers of walnut cream. The texture is smooth, and the walnut taste is distinctive.

Apart from all our wonderful French cheese I have received a new cheese for the first time, This is a genuine Cheddar made in Cheddar Gorge. This one is a new creation combining their delicious cheddar with summer truffles. The cheese is flecked with truffles and tastes great, it is tart, with a dense texture and a great truffle flavour. We have also received stock of the first fresh black figs of the season, they are the beautiful Persian figs grown on the Osdrift farm near Worcester. We have them in 1kg boxes or you can buy the figs individually.

Apart from our amazing collection of gooey ripe French cheese, back in stock this week, from neighbouring countries in Europe, are iconic cheeses, 18-month aged cheddar from Ireland and sheep’s milk Manchego from Spain. From Italy we have 18-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Bufala mozzarella and burrata. We have a new stock of French butter, salted and unsalted. What is special about this gourmet French butter is the high butter fat content, which gives it a richness and depth of flavour, spread some on a fresh baguette and you do not need anything else. It tastes great!