Thursday 29 November 2007

Gazetteer - Neal's Yard Dairy




I have to confess that I'm not much of a cheese lover, although there are times when I do enjoy having really great cheese at home, especially for after a dinner party - or as a lunch or evening supper with good bread and a leaf salad. My best friend in Paris, Xavier has tried hard to convert me with French cheeses, and has even disclosed one of his most guarded secrets which happens to be one of Paris's best cheese shops (I will include this shop and it's cheeses in a later post). There are several great cheese shops in London, my favourites being La Fromagerie, and Neal's Yard Dairy. Ben, my fellow finalist on Masterchef also has a rather fine Cheese shop in Cheltenham called The Cheese Works - well worth a visit if you live in the South West.
As I was in Borough shopping for the Thanksgiving dinner, I figured that a cheese course was in order, complete with figs and luscious black grapes. The Dairy has been going since 1979, and sells some of the best cheeses from across the UK and Ireland.
Being the cheese novice that I am, I not going to rattle on about cheese, but instead say that of the cheeses we had, they were all delicious and quite remarkable in flavour and texture. The cheeses we had were an Irish Crozier Blue, an intense Ogleshield,a Burland Green cow's milk cheese and a wonderfully grassy, tangy Kirkham's Lancashire. The staff are great at helping taste your way through various cheeses, helping you choose from such a wide variety of such wonderful artisan produce. They also stock butter, yoghurt and milk, as well as savoury biscuits and an eclectic range of chutneys and pickles.

Neals Yard Dairy

6 Park Street, Borough Market,
London SE1 9AB
Tel+44 (0)20 7645 3554
retail@nealsyarddairy.co.uk
Mon-Fri 9am to 6pm
Sat 8am to 5pm

The Cheeseworks, Cheltenham
http://www.thecheeseworks.co.uk/

6 comments:

Tony said...

You don't know what you're missing! I often pop into Neals Yard when at the market, but it can be a bit yuppie.

There is a really good (but cmall) cheese shop near my office at Liverpool Street Station. The guy there is ever so helpful and nothing is ever too much trouble. He always manages to get in whatever cheese I ask for. And he has a great knowledge :-)

Pixie said...

Looks like Cheese Heaven to me!

Tony said...

Have we lost you?!

Steve Wallis said...

Hey Anthony,
Sorry have been busy working on a fascinating TV show encompassing food and culture, but also I have recently become quite ill with Tonsilitis for the second time this year...

Will be blogging again very soon!
Steven.

Nilmandra said...

I was in there just a couple of weeks ago November and spent more money than I intended! I got the most amazing Parmigiano that I've ever tasted. It tasted too good to cook with and we had it on a cheese board the next evening.

Steve Wallis said...

Hi Nilmandra,
That place is like a magical cavern - once you go in, you are destined to come out with something, even if like me, you don't have a fondness for cheese. I'll have to try the Parmigiano. Loving your blog btw - your food looks so colourful and unique, I also lke the anime characters making an appearance here and there, you food looks delicious btw!
Steven.