LE CONQUERANT CAMEMBERT Selected by Will Studd Origin Characteristics Normandy, France Le Conquerant is a close cousin of Camembert de Normandie and its strong aromatic hints of wet straw, Milk Source brassica and apples are a reminder of why the authentic Cow cheese has become a proud symbol of French cheese Type making skills. Handmade for Will in the Pays d’Auge White Mould region of Normandy, its secret lies in the use of specially selected l cultures, moulds, and yeasts, and of course rich Form Normandy milk. The traditional wooden poplar box and Petit Camembert 5.3 oz wax paper wrap create a microclimate that encourages the Camembert 8.8 oz chalky heart of a young cheese to slowly break down over Grand Camembert 2.2 lb three to four weeks, eventually becoming deliciously soft Approximate Age and fudgy by the use by date. 6 weeks Fat Content 32% Pairing Dry Cider, Pinot noir, Merlot BRILLAT SAVARIN Selected by Will Studd Origin Characteristics Bourgogne, France This decadent triple-cream cheese is the perfect party pleaser. It takes its name from the famous 18th century Milk Source French food writer Brillat Savarin and was originally Cow created in the 1950s by Parisian affineur, Pierre Androuet Type . This example from Bourgogne is unique because unlike Triple cream its industrial cousins it’s has ripened under a thin coat of wrinkled yellow Geotrychum mould naturally found Form in unpasteurized cows’ milk. This mould is rarely used 7oz because its hard to wrap, but the poplar wooden box Approximate Age creates the ideal moist micro-climate for it to thrive. 5-6 weeks Deliciously creamy with a slightly chalky centre when Fat Content young, the texture gradually breaks down until it can be 75% in dry matter scooped from the centre with a spoon close to its use by date. Pairing Champagne, Sparkling Wine LE DUC VACHERIN Selected by Will Studd Origin Characteristics Franche-Comté, France This soft surface-ripened washed-rind cheese is specially made for Will in the mountains of the Franche Comte Milk Source region of France. Based on the famous Vacherin du Haut- Cow Doubs, but available all year and made from pastuerised Type milk, it is bound with a ring of traditional bark skill- Washed rind fully cut from the local spruce trees during the summer months. Form 7 oz (in a wooden box) Chalky and mild when young, it is best enjoyed close to the use by date when the smooth pinkish rind starts to Approximate Age ripple and bulge, and the inside softens to a rich creamy 4-6 weeks melt-in-the mouth texture with just a hint of the forest. Fat Content 28% Pairing Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Vin Jaune, Merlot LE CONQUERANT DEMI PONT L’EVEQUE Selected by Will Studd Origin Characteristics Normandy, France This pungent, monastic washed rind cheese comes from the heart of the Pays d’Auge in Normandy, France. It is Milk Source specially made for Will using fresh whole milk collected Cow from the designated AOC region for Pont L’eveque. Type The word ‘Demi’ refers to its small size, which influences Washed rind how quickly this traditional, soft surface-ripened cheese Form will ripen compared to its larger cousins. 6.3 oz Le Conquerant Demi Pont L’eveque is packed in a poplar Fat Content wood box and wrapped in wax paper to form the ideal 32% micro environment for maturation. It is best enjoyed when the chalky centre has broken down to a soft fudgy texture Pairing with a deliciously mild creamy finish. Dry Cider, Pinot Noir Don’t be put off by the strong smell. It is an important part of the ripening process for all traditional washed rind cheeses! APHRODITE BARREL AGED FETA Selected by Will Studd Origin Characteristics Northern Greece Authentic handmade Greek barrel-ripened feta is rare, and it tastes very different to modern feta matured in brine in Milk Source airtight tins. 70%Sheep/30% Goat This cheese has been carefully ripened in small, old beech Type wood barrels using traditional techniques that date back Feta to the time when nomadic shepherds roamed the hills of Form northern Greece. 6oz / 8.8 oz / bulk The barrels enable small amounts of oxygen to reach the Fat Content salted curds as they ferment under whey and the natural 25% in dry matter flora in the wooden staves helps to encourage a unique yeasty aroma. After three months maturation n the barrel, Pairing the feta develops a soft milky texture and a seriously Ouzo, Riesling, creamy peppery finish that is very different to modern brined feta matured in sealed tins or plastic. Barrel-ripened feta is now produced by just a handful of small dairies in Greece because of EU regulations and the skill and expense involved in production. Each barrel has to be filled with curd by hand and after the cheese has been removed, it must be broken down stave-by-stave, washed and rebuilt by a skilled cooper. APHRODITE MARNIATED FETA Selected by Will Studd Origin Characteristics Northern Greece This cheese has been carefully ripened in small old beech wood barrels, using traditional techniques. The barrels Milk Source enable a small amount of oxygen to reach the salted curds 70%Sheep/30% Goat as they ferment under whey, and the natural flora in the Type wooden staves helps to create a unique yeasty aroma Af- Feta ter three months maturation the feta develops a soft, milky texture with a creamy, peppery finish. It is then marinated Form in pure Greek extra virgin olive oil seasoned with dried 8.8 oz oregano . Fat Content *Pure EVOO will sometimes congeal when chilled, 25% in dry matter and will return to a fluid state at room temperature. We Pairing therefore recommend bringing the cheese and oil to room Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot temperature before serving. LE CONQUERANT BUTTER – BEURRE DE BARATTE Selected by Will Studd Demi Sel (lightly salted) Characteristics and Doux (unsalted) It’s hard to beat the flavour and rich, creamy texture of genuine cultured butter gently churned the old-fashioned Origin way in a baratte. This hand-moulded benchmark butter Normandy, France from the Isigny region of Normandy France featured in Milk Source season six of Cheese Slices. It carries the AOP symbol Cow and is guaranteed to be made only from fresh local cream cultured using a time-honoured, natural maturation Type process lasting up to 24 hours. Butter Quality varies according to the seasons and the softest Form richest butter is made during the early summer flush 0.88oz / 4.41oz when the green seaside meadows are covered in a riot of Fat Content buttercups, daisies and dandelions. These yellow flowers 80% (in total mass) are ingested by the cows and produce a golden butter high in fatty solids, oleic acid and mineral salts packed with floral flavours. This is the butter the Normans traditionally keep for themselves, and has been was specially selected by Will so you can share in their secret!.