Cheese for the Sunshine: A Summer Guide
There's a particular kind of cheese logic that only makes sense in summer. The cheese you want in July is a different creature, one that can handle a bit of sun, and tastes better still for the company of ripe fruit and a glass of something cold.
The ones that can take the heat
As a rule, the harder and more mature a cheese, the more composed it stays on a warm day. Lower moisture means a firmer structure, so instead of collapsing, these cheeses simply soften a little at the edges and grow more generous with their aromas.
Our Hand-Selected Pitchfork Cheddar is the obvious hero: clothbound and matured for over a year, it has real backbone, staying composed outdoors while turning nuttier and more succulent as it warms. Le Gruyère AOC Extra Mature is cut from the same cloth, cave-aged for a minimum of 14 months, with a silky, crystalline bite that only grows more expressive in the warmth. Hard sheep's milk cheeses and aged Alpine styles behave in much the same way, dense, savoury, and unbothered by a warm afternoon.
Save the very ripe, high-moisture, washed-rind cheeses for cooler evenings, bring them out just before serving, and don't let them linger in the sun.
The ones that taste like summer
Some cheeses seem to have been written with sunshine in mind. Fresh, young goats' cheeses are the obvious start: bright, lactic, made for soft fruit and a drizzle of honey.
Ragstone is soft, smooth and lemony, lovely simply sliced over a salad of peas or broad beans. Brightwell Ash, made by Norton and Yarrow, is mousse-like and citrusy when young, with a natural ash rind that develops hazelnut notes as it matures. Golden Cross has an almost ice-cream-like texture and a sweet, grassy character that loves cherries or apricots. And for something a little more herbal, Fougette au Thym brings a gentle thyme note that feels like the South of France on a plate. For a more indulgent finish, Eve, a soft goats' cheese washed in Somerset cider brandy and wrapped in a vine leaf, has a nutty, unctuous centre that's made for long evenings outdoors.
And beyond the goat
The same sun-seeking spirit turns up across other milks too. Burrata di Bufala is the ultimate warm-weather indulgence: pull it open and its liquid cream centre spills out, made for charred peaches, ripe tomatoes, or a good olive oil and nothing else. Halloumi turns the heat into an asset rather than a threat, holding its shape on the grill while turning salty and golden outside, soft within. And Graceburn, a rich, Persian-feta-style cheese steeped in olive oil with thyme, garlic and bay, brings instant Mediterranean lift to a salad or a slice of good bread.
For elegant, easy entertaining
Some cheeses are less about standing up to the sun and more about matching its mood, mellow, delicate, and made for long lunches in the garden. Mini Waterloo is soft, rich and buttery, almost like a hollandaise, with a gentle lactic finish; its sister cheese, Mini Wigmore, made from ewes' milk using the same washed-curd method, is just as delicate but with a fruitier, more complex character. Both are cut for easy sharing and pair beautifully with a glass of something chilled.
Building the board
Keep a summer board lighter than its winter counterpart: one firm, aged cheese as the anchor, one fresh goats' cheese added just before serving, plenty of ripe fruit in place of jam, and something thin and crisp underneath rather than anything too rich. Pour a chilled, dry white or rosé, and let the cheese do the talking.
However well-suited a cheese is to warm weather, keep it in the fridge until close to serving, then give it no more than thirty minutes to an hour at room temperature, enough to loosen the flavours, not enough to lose them.
Pair it properly
A great summer cheese deserves the right company. Explore our crackers and accompaniments; from our all-butter Bath Squares to fruity Toast for Cheese, to find the perfect match for whatever's on your board this season.
