The Stevie - Seasonal Cheese & Wine

For all our talk of being modern, a large part of cheesegeek relies on traditional methods and hand-me-down recipes. This Cheshire fits this bill. Made by the Appleby family since 1952, it’s the last raw milk, clothbound Cheshire made in the UK today. They have managed to achieve that perfect balance of a cheese that’s light yet still full bodied. Moist yet still with a slight crumble. On this occasion, it’s out with the new and in with the old.

This is the latest cheese from Lynher Dairies, makers of Supreme Champion 2017 Cornish Kern, Stithians is a matured, unwrapped version of their famous Cornish Yarg. Takes on a further 3-6 months than Yarg, and with a natural rind, Stithians ends up taking the best of both Yarg and Kern. It just about has the slight lactic, fresh citrus bite, but has become denser by this stage. Layered on top of that are the early shoots of Kern...the nutty, caramel richness and the faintest hint of honey floral sweetness.

Moreton is David Jowett from King Stone Dairy's take on the continental Tomme cheese. This cheesy delight has a chalky, yeasty rind that contrasts the silky smooth, interior with zesty notes and a moreish savoury finish. Made in the Cotswolds (from the village of Moreton-in-Marsh, how strange?), it has a salty kick and is sure to be a hit.

Mature, and not in a dull, doesn't like to leave the house way. Quicke's Mature is just fully developed. Quicke's the makers date back to 1540s so they know how to make goooood cheese. Handcrafted using crass-fed cow milk, this well rounded cheddar is typically matured for 12-18 months (hence the name) and brings you a variety of flavours from brothy to buttery to freshly mown grass and baked potato flavours. Always with the characteristic cheddar tang.

Gruyere? GRU-YEAH! This is Gruyere but not as you might know it. Cheesemaker Vordefultigen and affineur Gourmino combined to make this Gruyere AOP surchoix, which was Crowned Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards 2022 making it officially the best cheese in the world. The complexity in this cheese is quite frankly outrageous. Fruity, funky, nutty, rich,  caramel. It's all in there, plus more.

Made in the style of a traditional French Brie, Cenarth Brie has the classic gooey creamy interior that Brie style cheeses are so famous for, with slightly more intense mushroomy flavours than your traditional brie, that only ripens with age. Carwyn Adams and his family at Caws Cenarth have been making cheese for over three centuries and that experience shows in Cenarth Brie.

When he tasted this Yarlington cheese our Founder stood up and did a few pirouettes he was that excited by it. And this baby is a delight through and through, the result of an ingenious collaboration between David Jowett from Kingstone Dairy, Tom Oliver of Oliver's Ciders and Sam Wilkin (rockstars in the cheese and cider worlds). Why do we love this cheese so much?

1. It's washed in cider (need we say more?)

2. It's delicious

3. It's fruity on the inside, meaty on the outside. You get apple-y, sweet flavours on the rind from the west-country cider and you get meaty, marmite-y flavours from the creamy interior

4. It's unmistakably British

5. It's delicious (it's so nice, we said it twice)

Most of the time you may find that you read the name of the cheese and find it very hard to link it to what you're eating. This is simply not the case with Northern Blue. It sounds tough...and it is tough. Made with hard-as-nails northern cows, it packs a serious punch (thanks to a stronger strain of Penicillium Roquefort). To balance the extra strength, there is still a creaminess and sweetness to it...think of it as the softer side to Phil Mitchell (there's one there, we know it).

Shepherd's Purse have blues running through their veins, and this is another winner. Literally. It unsurprisingly scooped a Silver Medal winner at the 2019 World Cheese Awards in Bergamo.

The texture of HENDRIX is the first thing that hits you, semi-soft, forgiving, silky and melt-in-the-mouth. It is the blue cheese equivalent of eating a Galaxy chocolate bar, and so unusual in the world of blue cheese. This is the starting point for what is both an incredibly accessible and balanced blue cheese, but also complex and characterful. It carries an unmistakable sea saltiness and minerality, reflecting its provenance by the west coast of Wales, which balances the richness of the milk perfectly.

Whilst we are a dab hand at cheese, our in house wine expert knows a thing or 2 about pairing vino and fromage. So trust us to pick the perfect bottle with your selection. We guarantee it'll be bang on for this time of year and pair perfectly with your cheese selection. The house selection changes monthly.