In our desire to improve the quality of what we eat the next thing on my list is cheese – we’ve done meat and veg.

Anyone using a good online seller where you can order in a quantity suitable for family of four that doesn’t have their own rustic cheese cellar? There’s some crazy “artisan” stuff coming out of London delis but I fear that there I am paying as much for someone’s sky high rent as I am for the cheese and it’s probably a bit too posh for everyday consumption by pre teen kids!

We need cheddar as a staple but beyond that a variety of other cow/goat options for cooking and eating that we’d be mixing up order by order.

I’m a bit biased, but nothing beats a nice bit of Wensleydale

https://www.wensleydale.co.uk/shop/

No local seller? We have a farm shop about 3 miles away that was open during the first lockdown, haven’t been lately but just an idea. Another tip – get fresh free range eggs from honesty boxes around local villages. I fetch them on the bike to keep bimblefit. We have a few close neighbours who also sell eggs but I like to go farther afield just to get eggxercise/change of scenery

£1.50 per 1/2 dozen seems going rate. I often tip more if they are especially eggcellent. They’re nearly all tastier than the supermarket ‘free range’ so am in the curious situation of receiving better quality for lower cost.

Yeah, you must have somewhere local surely? Where are you? This is my local – the Ancient is incredible!
https://cheesemakersofcanterbury.co.uk/shop/

Another tip – get fresh free range eggs from honesty boxes around local villages.

I will one-up you by saying that after lockdown 1 we got a few chickens! Fresh eggs on tap and they make surprisingly fun pets too! 😀 🐔 Farm eggs are great too tho. SO much fresher than supermarket.

Try this company. https://www.shepherdspurse.co.uk/ The best blue cheese I have ever had – the Mrs. Bells Blue. Although they don’t do a cheddar, I can highly recommend the range. They deliver in recyclable cold packaging as well which is nice.

https://www.thecourtyarddairy.co.uk/

This place is very good

I can thoroughly recommend https://thetruckletruck.com/, excellent cheese from my sister, who really knows her stuff. Local if you happen to be in Dorset/Wilts/Somerset area, and will post if you’re elsewhere.

Thanks all. You’d think we’d have somewhere local but we are in the urban sprawl of central Hampshire (that belt along the coast with little but housing and industrial estates between the New Forest and Emsowrth).

Especially at the moment where we are trying very hard to stay local it’s quite a stretch to be heading out several miles from home for supplies that someone would argue could come from any of the four major supermarkets within two miles in either direction and I’m not passing anywhere on rides (when I can get out which is very rare at the moment).

In normal times I’d have done a quick diversion/pit stop on the way to or from a ride/big walk in the hills in the car. But these are not normal times sadly. 😕

The ethical dairy/cream of Galloway rainton farm dairy Is local to me and where I get my cheese, they do online sales.

https://www.lovecheese.co.uk/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=gmb

..and his virtual wine and cheese pairings are very good,

Any restaurant/catering suppliers near you that have started selling direct to public? They often have good stuff without the “artisan” prices.

The one I use is great but they’re just London/SE.

Oooh good thread.

https://www.doddingtoncheese.co.uk

https://www.northumberlandcheese.co.uk/?_cookies=YES

Both do amazing cheese.

I bought a few cheeses from the Northumberland one Drac posted. Very nice indeed and lot of variety. I might need to go and order some more now…

The next village to us has the most amazing cheese shop

https://cheese-etc.co.uk/

apparently (reading the site….) Cheesemonger of the year, and Cheesecounter of the year

loads of selection, lovely people, and they do the superb jalapeno pretzels as well

they do a few different monthly boxes if you fancy someone choosing for you

This may also help though

https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/food-drink/subscription-boxes/best-cheese-subscription-box-gifts-london-uk-monthly-rated-a9536066.html

No online sales from the farm but Shipcord by Rodwell’s Dairy just down the road is worth searching out. Unpasteurised and made alpine style (higher temp on the curds) to give a cheddar like cheese with a nuttier flavour.

Suffolk Blue and Suffolk gold from these lovely people is also worth searching out.

Oops I forgot these guys

https://www.churchmousecheeses.com/

https://www.fordfarm.com/product/coastal-cheddar/

We like this one for a cheddar. Made in Dorset so not too far.

https://www.fordfarm.com/product/dorset-red/

Is also good.

We get both via a local veg scheme in much larger blocks than the direct site is offering.

@garage-dweller Let me know your location and I’ll run a serach for local inependent cheesemongers, farm shops and delis that we supply near you. I work for one of the largest independent cheese wholesalers in the UK. We’re also dairy farmers and cheesemakers in our own right.

A couple of cheese clubs run by our customers include Pong cheese and the Cheeseclub from Home by Nico.

We put together some really good artisan packs from all over the UK for them.

We also have our own range of products from smaller dairies that are currently on sale in Booths, inlcuding Kirkhams Lancashire, Applebys Cheshire, Suffolk Gold, our own Clothbound Red Leicester, Gorwydd Caerphilly, Lincolnshire Poacher and Keens Cheddar. Keep an eye out for our World Cheese Award winning Inglewhite Buffalo on the telly soon, too. 😉

As a added bonus of charcuterie to go with your cheese I recently ordered from here and awaiting delivery

https://www.meatsaltsmoke.com

If you re near Edinburgh Cedric the cheese man
Quality french cheeses
https://cheesee-peasee.com/

These guys are great

https://www.caldercheesehouse.co.uk/

And in stw approved todmorden too

Another vote for the Ethical Dairy.

I’ve used marks cheese for a nice bit of bowland every so often.

Cheers for the Cheese makers of Canterbury link , I didn’t know about them.
I’m in Folkestone, and they deliver !

One of my locals and not a million miles from you either:

https://www.highwealddairy.co.uk/

I get mine delivered by gruyere-al mail.

(unusual to see a cheese thread here without some very bad puns. Apologies for lowering the tone)

I’m currently enjoying monthly deliveries to Yorkshire from I.J Mellis in Edinburgh and the quality is superb. Christmas present from my sister.

Goodwood Farm Shop (near Chichester) is not far from you. They do a lot of really excellent meat and dairy products. Not sure they will deliver but you can pre order and collect from the farm.

best thread in years. bookmarked.

As per Drac above, the Doddington is superb.

The Cheese Shop in Nantwich is excellent. But their delivery charge is £7.75 which might be off-putting.

I have it on good authority that you guys have ruined WonnyJ’s future waistline.

Cheese by mail incoming!!

Current favorite is Jersey Gouda. It has a bit more strength/flavour than standard Gouda.

Available from Morrisons supermarket deli counter.

The Courtyard Diary in Yorkshire just received an order from south wales to be delivered to the Scottish Borders.