Cheese in London?

[HeatherFL]

I apologize if this has been covered before. I did a search and found one reference to cheese in London. I am off to London (first trip) in April before hitting France (been before) for a meeting. I would love to find something different in London as far as cheeses/tastings go. Any recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks so much!

[ferdydurke]

wherever in london you go for cheese, i'd urge you to try a cheese called "oxford isis." it's supercreamy, and i think it's aged in mead. it was certainly among the best cheeses i have ever had the pleasure to eat (and i eat a LOT of cheese). the flavor was orchestral, insane. tragically, they don't seem to import it to the US.

[mrnyc]

i had a cheese plate at a restaurant in nyc last night and one of the cheeses we picked was mrs. quick's cheddar from england. it was pretty tasty. you might be on the lookout for that brand.

[Brit on a Trip]

Quick's is probably the second best Cheddar that you'll easily find in the UK (after Montgomery) and is usually available in good supermarkets. For other premium quality farmhouse stuff, you need to be going to specialist cheese shops - two of the best in the country for British cheeses are Neals Yard in London and, even better, The Cheese Shop in Chester.

[Midlife]

I don't pretend to know London at all, but I do know something about cheese. If you want to get the best..... go to the best.

Neal's Yard Dairy has an international reputation. When my wife and I were planning our wine and cheese retail shop we went to a convention of American artisinal cheese makers and the guests of honor were the owner of Neal's Yard and the owner Randolf Hodgson, of a famed cheddar maker Jamie Montgomery (Montgomery's). The concensus was these guys were "da bomb'.

Neal's Yard locations:
COVENT GARDEN
17 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden,
London WC2H 9UP
Tel [phone]
[e-mail]
Mon-Thurs 11am to 6.30pm
Fri-Sat 10am to 6.30pm

BOROUGH MARKET
6 Park Street, Borough Market,
London SE1 9AB
Tel[phone]
[e-mail]
Mon-Fri 9am to 6pm
Sat 8am to 4.30pm

http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/

[SpikeyD]

Neal's Yard's good if you're off to Borough Market to join the tourist hordes there. If you go, do try and find the stall selling Cheshire cheese straight off the farm (the cheese makers run the stall). It makes a distinct change from Mrs Appleby's. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the farm but you'll spot them easily enough, I'm sure.

And try to get to La Fromagerie in Moxon St, off Marylebone High St - very well kept cheeses (shop has its own maturing cellars) and lots of other goodies as well. You should also nip next door to Ginger Pig - one of the best butchers in London, who also make delicious pork pies and other cooked food on the premises. If the weather's good, you have the perfect picnic to have in the little park just a few steps away.

[HeatherFL]

Thank you, thank you! Really looking forward to it. I'll be sure to report my experiences when I return!

[Brit on a Trip]

It's Bourne's Cheshire. Appleby's by comparison is second rate (and isn't actually made in Cheshire - their farm is just into Shropshire).

Mr & Mrs Bourne make the 400 mile round trip each week to sell at Borough. But once a month they only have 35 miles to travel to my nearest farmer's market. They usually stock an organic, a "mature" and a blue. All are good. Ask if they have any "extra mature" - very occasionaly they will.

John

[SpikeyD]

That's the one... I still have a soft spot for Appleby's, though, as I associate it with trips to Altrincham market more than 30 years ago... Like Marmite, I just can't give it up...

[Simon Majumdar]

Neal's Yard and Fromagerie rightly get lots of rec's but don't forget the old school and rather splendid Paxton & Whitfield on Jermyn St

http://www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk/

A little treasure and well worth popping into

S

[Brit on a Trip]

Unfortunately, you won't get Appleby's (or any decent cheese) in Altrincham nowadays.

[wally]

Neal's Yard in Covent Garden.