FOOD&DRINK

When it comes to food, Christmas isn’t just about turkey. There’s all the other tasty stuff as well. Like cheese. Tony Benjamin digs in to some festive fromage.

You know when something’s become a Christmas institution when the supermarkets start packaging it up, and come December the chiller cabinets are already full of port and Stilton gift boxes and shrink-wrapped cheeseboards. Grab them if you must but a visit to one of the many cheesemongers of Bristol and Bath might reveal a world of festive cheesiness that’s got nothing to do with the ‘X Factor’. Venue asked a few local experts for insider tips on the cheeses they’ll be enjoying after their Christmas pud (see below).

But first – would you know a good Stilton if you saw one? Ann-Marie Dyas from Bath’s Fine Cheese Company reckons it’s all in the rind: “If you look at the curd and see variation of colour – light and dark patches – it’s a classic sign it’s not right. It should look creamy and all of a piece. But the key is to taste it – and if they won’t let you try it you just shouldn’t buy it!” Jess Trethowan, whose family business has a popular stall in Bristol’s St Nick’s market, goes back to basics: “We don’t do Stilton as such – the EU regulations mean the name can only be used for a limited area and that cheese must be pasteurised. We sell Stichelton which is made down the road in Nottinghamshire – it’s a new cheese but it resurrects on old one. They’ve used the original starter culture (bacteria that gives the blueness and flavour) and it’s unpasteurised. It’s an absolutely gorgeous cheese!” David Greenman, joint owner of Clifton’s Arches Deli finds his customers go even further afield in search of their blueness. “The Picos Blue (from Spain) is surprisingly popular and there’s an interesting new one from Lancashire called Blacksticks Blue that’s a bit more like an English Roquefort.”

But whatever you pick for that pungent plateful Ann-Marie has a handy hint for keeping it fresh: “Don’t keep putting it in and out of the fridge – cheese doesn’t like that. Once you’ve got your cheeseboard set out put a clean tea-towel under a cold tap, then wring it out and spread it over the board before putting it into a cool room. That’ll keep all the cheese cool and moist.”

Ann-Marie Dyas

Ann-Marie has been at the heart of The Fine Cheese Company in Bath for just over twenty years and cheese is clearly her passion. While she recognises that people have a sense of tradition about Christmas (“we take comfort in the cheeses we’ve always had”), she thinks it’s also important to try something new. “Look for things to make a cheeseboard look exciting. Vacherin Mont D’Or for instance, an unctuous, lush cheese, neither strong nor bland, that you eat from the box. It’s fun! Let’s have some fun!

Cheeseboard choice “I adore sheep’s cheeses, particularly Tuscan Pecorino Dolce – young, soft and supple with the richness of sheep’s milk. I’d match that with Gorgonzola Dolce, a gentler blue cheese, and that’s probably enough for me. If I wanted to push the boat out, I’d drizzle a little acacia honey over it… what a breakfast!”

THE FINE CHEESE COMPANY 29 WALCOT ST, BATH, BA1 5BN. TEL: 01225 448748, WEB: WWW.FINECHEESE.CO.UK

Jessica Trethowan

From the base at Gorwydd Farm, Ceredigion, where they make their award-winning Gorwydd Caerphilly cheese, Trethowans are out and about in farmers’ markets and pop-up shops as well as maintaining a permanent stall in St Nicholas Market, Bristol. Jess sees cheese as a social pleasure as much as anything: “It’s so much about sitting around by a fireside with friends after some good food and then there’s a lovely board of cheeses to sample and talk about. And it’s really lovely when you find a chutney, wine or beer that perfectly suits a cheese – the sum is definitely greater than the parts!”

Cheeseboard choice “Gorwydd Caerphilly, of course – a lovely session cheese I never get bored with, then Stichelton because it’s just a beautiful blue cheese. Definitely a Cheddar, probably Keens or Montgomery, and then maybe a nice creamy goats’ cheese like Ragstone to balance the rest – and then a chutney or two, of course!”

TRETHOWAN’S DAIRY ST NICHOLAS MARKET, BRISTOL, BS1 1LJ. TEL: 0117 902 0332, WEB: WWW.TRETHOWANSDAIRY.CO.UK

David Greenman

It’s only just a year since David Greenman and Debbie Atherton shrugged off careers in software and marketing and took on the mantle of cheesemongers when they bought the Arch House Deli. “We’re doing something we’re really passionate about It’s been fun, we’ve learnt a lot of things – luckily there was a good team here already! Over the year we’ve put more of a focus on cheese, rotating different types and sticking to favourites like Montgomery Cheddar, Rachel’s Goats’ Cheese and Vacherin.

Cheeseboard choice” I’d start with an Irish cheese – Ardrahan. I prefer it smoked but they won an award last year and now there’s too much demand to save some for smoking! I’d balance that with Beaufort, a French cheese with a clean, slightly nutty taste and then I’d top it off with something a bit smelly. Probably Mayhill Green, made by the same people as Stinking Bishop (officially England’s smelliest cheese), but it’s not so strong and it’s rolled in pulverised nettles.”

ARCH HOUSE DELI BOYCES AVE, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 4AA. TEL: 0117 974 1166, WEB: WWW.ARCHHOUSEDELI.COM
 

Copyright Tony Benjamin 2010

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