Choosing and Caring for Cheese

Like any good cheesemonger, our aim is to send you cheese that is in perfect condition to eat, not cheese that you need to ripen at home.
The following advice will help guide you on what to expect:

In general, whole or larger pieces of cheese will last longer than smaller cuts, but the style of cheese plays a role too.
Individual cheeses: You can often expect a shelf-life of seven to fourteen days from receipt on any individual cheese we deliver. (The exceptions are very fresh cheeses like Mozzarella di Bufala, which may only have three to four days’ life.)

Hard cut cheeses like Cheddar and Gruyère, and robust blues like Stilton and Fourme d’Ambert, will keep for up to fourteen days if carefully wrapped and stored in waxed paper or foil.
Some soft cut cheeses like Brie de Meaux and Waterloo can be more delicate but generally they will keep for ten to fourteen days.
If you are in any doubt, please ask us for advice.
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about your cheese, so always feel free to call us on 01225 448748.

 

If you’re not planning to eat it immediately, then it’s important to take good care of it until the time comes to tuck in.

For most people, the best place to keep their cheese is in the fridge.
If you have a larder or cellar, you can keep whole, hard cheeses there, but all soft, blue and cut cheeses will fare best in the fridge.
The best place is usually the salad compartment. It is slightly warmer and more humid than other areas of the fridge.
If you are worried your cheese might have a strong smell, store it in a sealed plastic tub to help contain the aroma.

Our cheesemongers cut every piece of cheese by hand, and wrap it in our waxed paper. Cling film doesn’t preserve your cheese as well, so rewrap your cheese in the waxed paper if you aren’t going to eat it all in one sitting, or rewrap it in foil.
Some cheeses arrive in their own wooden box. Don’t discard this, it will help to keep your cheese in tip-top condition.
Cheese and mould are natural bedfellows and given a chance, all cheese will grow a coat. If your cheese has spent some time in the fridge, and you find some surface mould when you unwrap it, just trim a thin layer away. The cheese underneath will still taste great.

 

HOW TO KEEP A CHEESE-BOARD in Tip-Top Condition Outside the Fridge