Whilst watching the “don’t cry for me Argentina v Croatia” game, I was sloshing some 2009 Bordeaux and snaffling some cheese we bought at the weekend from our local farm shop that was hosting a cheese festival. Long suffering wife bought this…
Wow. If mimicry is flattery, Epoisse would be very flattered by this Suffolk cheese. Quite an overwhelming taste but this wine was pretty bold. North Suffolk made from warm raw milk alongside another cheese that is a Brie de Meaux in a Flag of St George by a different maker from the same milk. A lovely way to spend an evening. Any revelations in cheese near you?
I used to buy local cheeses from a fab shop in Lewes called ‘Cheese Please’. Unfortunately it’s closed now, but has a regular presence in the Farmers Market. My favourite two from them were the Sussex blue: https://www.thefoodmarket.com/products/sussex-blue-cheese-200g-by-alsop-walker
And an organic sheep’s cheese called Sussex Slipcote:
I bought a selection of Sussex cheeses as a Christmas present to friends from Spain and they were truly impressed!
I’ve bought some at farmers’ markets before and thought it was delicious, and you’ll find it in dishes at quite a few local restaurants, and I’ve never been disappointed by a dish with a bit of Wobbly Bottom in it…
Here at the conjunction of Shropshire, Herefordshire and mid Wales, we have an abundance of good and varied cheese makers. Ludlow Food Centre wins awards, and makes on premises. Others include ewes milk and goats milk cheeses…yet to find Alpaca but wouldn’t be surprised to find one.
One local lady producing brilliant goats cheese from pedigree Saanen goats, gave up…unable to cope with demand unless majoring up the business. Suppose that is a potential problem.
Suffolk is well known to hide its many talents under its many Bushels. The Barley that is made into malt for your Maltesers and beer and the sugar from Tate and Lyle, that sponsors those fancy art places across the country,… a County of many notes, especially at Henham Park’s Latitude… amongst other things, of course.
We lived in Long Melford for nine years so know the county well and there are some very good cheeses produced there as there are now over the whole country, an area of food we have really improved, so much so our cheeses compete with anyones now, though they are not readily available.
Suffolk Gold is good and another, just in Suffolk at Bungay is Baron Bigod a lovely soft cheese and we have up here Norfolk Mardler among others.
Bulmer, Little Cornard, Lamarsh ? or are you more easterly towards Colchester like Nayland, it’s all a nice part of the world.
Used to visit Colchester in the past when we were in Essex and Suffolk to mainly visit the old Lay and Wheelers and go to the Garrison Officers Club where they held their tasting dinners, very good to.
Yes, I love Tunworth - very tempting to buy it complete, but I usually make do with a half. Seems to have a more interesting, complex taste than Camembert, but that’s being very subjective… Perhaps I could send you Stitchelton and you could send Tunworths to me?!
We’re just near Dedham. So east of those areas you mention.
Certainly this is a lovely part of the country.
The officers club is still running having been burnt down and rebuilt. Much more modern building and all the oak panels have gone. Lay and Wheeler are now owned by majestic/naked but the Wheeler family run a wine merchants not a mile from me here.
The Maison Talboth was very good years ago in Dedham but haven’t been for many years so have no idea what it is like now, it used to have a Michelin star., the Essex /Suffolk borders are a lovely area all the way across from where we lived near Saffron Walden to where you are, Essex is much maligned, like all counties there is good and bad to be seen.
Lay and Wheelers also used to do a wine and oyster day at West Mersea that was a great day out, great oysters to.
Best cheese board (trolley) was at The Great House in Lavenham which was just down the road from where we lived. Dedham is a great little spot too @Russ, it could even be Suffolk!
01438 741177
and describes rather accurately what happens to me if I eat too much cheese!
