Cheese Discovery Spring 2024

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A Playground of Delicious Discovery

CHEESE

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This springtime, step inside Fortnum's, and discover a destination that's good enough to eat, as we take you on a tasting tour of some of our favourite flavours, ingredients and culinary creations. Welcome to Fortnum & Mason, and prepare to experience our Playground of Delicious Discovery...

Dear Dairy…

CHEESE AT FORTNUM'S

A fixture in our Food Hall since the mid-19th century, we've always been fond of fromage.  

In the 1850s, we took out adverts in the press every December, to let our fellow cheese-lovers know that the festive season's supplies of Stilton, Gorgonzola and Roquefort had arrived at Piccadilly.  

Not long after, we started producing our own Stilton, and cheese continued to grow in popularity at Fortnum's, until the advent of the Second World War, when the Ministry of Food decreed that all cheesemakers must produce nothing but a single, universal 'British' cheese, reminiscent of a weak Cheddar.  

Needs must, of course — but come the 1950s, we were very pleased to welcome new arrivals once more, with Canadian, French and Swiss cheeses proving particularly popular.  

Today, artisanal cheeses rule the roost, alongside some of our own innovations, like our Potted Cheddar, and our Stilton with Truffle & Honey. So, anyone for a nice cheeseboard? 

RECIPE

Cheese & Pear Toasted Sandwich

STORY

Angus D. Birditt’s Perfect Cheese Pairings

It’s (Always) Cheese & Wine Time

Whether a mid-week treat or weekend sharer with friends, this spring pairing is not only palate pleasing perfection, but a happy union of expert advice from our Piccadilly Cheesemonger and Wine Buyer. Drum roll, please...

Fortnum's Dorset Brie

This Dorset Brie is deliciously oozy, with a tangy zestiness balanced by creamy flavours. A beautiful spring cheese made by Hollis Mead – a certified pasture-fed, organic, regenerative and biodynamic dairy – and you can almost taste the meadow grasses and wildflowers their Ayrshire cows graze on.

English Sparkling Brut N.V by Camel Valley

Elegant, dry sparkling wines go particularly well with young, soft and buttery Bries such as this, making our English Sparkling Brut N.V by Camel Valley in Cornwall the perfect companion. The orchard fruit and elderflower character compliment the cheese’s flavour - while crisp vibrant acidity brings moreish, mouth-watering balance.