Calendar Cheese ‘Around the World’ Christmas Showcase – thank-you Calendar and Will Studd

Last night Michael and I went to cheese heaven!

It was the annual Calendar Cheese ‘Around the World’ Christmas Showcase, where they have all their cheeses on display and available for tasting of course!! Plus accompanied by a lovely Champagne, of course!

It is fabulous evening for the trade who select and order their Christmas stock. We use it as an opportunity to try cheeses we do not usually buy or use, whether here or in France. How very spoilt are we, when it comes to sampling great French, international and Australian cheeses, selected by our master cheese man, Will Studd?

Our Girolle, cheese curler, as seen in the photo, is traditionally used with the ‘Tête de Moine’ Monk’s head cheese; we have discovered another wonderful, eve better cheese for the Girolle, called Agour Brebis Pimento. You may have a chance to try it during our French Odyssey cooking classes. These photos include most of the favourites we tasted last night and I tried to include the cheese’s name with each photo. Ask me and I can give you the details.

For making the gougères, I usually use the sensational, nutty Comte cheese; some think the best French cheese! This week in class we will use, my new discovery, a Cantal Entre Deux AOP from the Fromagerie St Mamet.

There were Echiré and Isigny butters from Normandy, new Elle and Vire creams, Italian masarpones, mustatels, and my favourite a Rolada of date, pistachio and walnut as a change from the quince pastes.

We enjoyed all these cheeses in my photos, and I am happy to help you in your next cheese selections for a special dinner party.