We've spoken to one cheese shop there but nothing's happened yet. If you can suggest a good deli we'll give it a go. Same goes for the rest of Switzerland, we're trying to get an outlet in Bern at the moment.

Not really. A bit of a chicken and egg scenario. Haven't looked for one as they don't have what I need if you know what I mean. I'll keep my eyes open from now on though.

Quite a few people have asked if I can post cheese to the UK (seriously!). the answer has always been no as it'd take too long (and be too expensive) re customs. But we've just agreed a partnership with The Cheese Society in Lincoln. They sell similar quality British cheeses as us (as well as some European cheeses) and are the market leaders in on-line cheese shopping in the UK.

If you do use them to send cheesy gifts back home, tell them I sent you!

We're back at the Zurich HB market tomorrow from 10.00 - 20.00, my cheese of the month for March is Somerset Blue. A mature, firm raw Jersey milk from Ian Arnett (he also makes the more famous Exmoor Blue, also in stock this month) and it's part of the Blue Lovers Tasting Pack on-line together with Stilton and Lanark Blue.

The Lanark Blue is a raw sheeps milk cheese and is probably Scotlands most famous cheese. It's so good that the Hotel Oschen in Zug, who specialise in French raw milk cheeses, now have it on their cheese trolley - they have an excellent restaurant by the way.

If you live in Eastern Switzerland, we'll be at Ospelt in Schaan on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th March doing a free promotional tasting. If you're in Zurich and love the Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Jelmoli are now stocking the Sparkenhoe Vintage, an 18 month matured version and much spicier than the normal one and should have the Lincolnshire Poacher Vintage soon.

Our new Crumbly Lancashire is going down so well I've also put that in our on-line shop on it's own and as part of my Cheesemasters selection for March.

Lots of new cheeses, and a few more stockists around CH (touch wood), coming soon!

don't forget your phone charger this time!

Tomorrow and Saturday we'll be at the fantastic Ospelt Deli in Schaan (FL) from 10.00 - 14.00 giving a free tasting of some of our cheeses and chutneys and at the Moevenpick wine shop in Zug on Saturday from 10.00 - 17.00. Moevenpick will be offering a free tasting of loads of South American, Californian and Australian wines, I'll have about 10 of our cheeses to try and buy.

In 2 weeks we get a new delivery with plenty of "new to Switzerland" cheeses from Scotland and Gloucestershire including Double Gloucester, and Hereford Hop (wrapped in dried hop flakes, great with beer) from Charles Martell who makes the delicious Stinking Bishop - and Strathdone Blue, Caboc (like butter wrapped in oats) and the new Scottish "Blue Monday", a result of the Evenlode Partnership with Alex James, ex bass guitarist from Blur. He's gone all farmy now. It's pretty good actually, a bit like the Irish Cashel Blue but, unusual for any cheese, it is square in shape and quite small at about 650 gr.

Glad to see you got back last night without hypothermia - the poor devil was freezing yesterday at the HB. As always the cheese that I bought was superb . Big thanks to you

That was the coldest I've been for a long time, well 3 weeks or so. That whisky was really needed when I finally did get home. Hopefully Spring will be here soon!

So... I finally bought a jar of nettle jelly, which I smeared on crackers and enjoyed with a piece of Cornish Yarg (the one wrapped in nettles).

It's not the most mind-blowing flavour in the world, but it has a nice, subtle, vaguely herby taste that goes very well with the Yarg. It also complements Lancashire crumbly cheese very well.

It would probably be completely lost if used to accompany a strong cheese (like the Evil Blue Cheese of Satan, for example), but seems to go very nicely with mild cheeses, and those of a herby disposition.

And it didn't sting my tongue!

I must admit to a certain degree of disappointment on that score...

Perhaps your über-esurient tongue was just too sharp for the nettle jelly?

Would you recommend it to accompany comestibles of the Jibneh or Juustoleipa variety,
or should one stick with the more traditional Venezuelan beaver cheese?
.

Maybe see you in Schaan this Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately I'll be at Moevenpick in Zug all day, but my other half will be there and she is much nicer to look at! I was there this morning and the shop is really special, a good wine cellar and butcher and there are tables by the window where you can enjoy a glass of something with a nibble.

They're not stocking your Crumbly, but do have Stilton, Shropshire, Poacher Vintage, Godminster, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Gorwydd Caerphilly, Coolea and Rachel Goat as well as some fantastic French and Swiss cheeses, a few bits of which I brought home for a late lunch.

Ospelt are at Landstrasse 6, 9494 Schaan, Liechtenstein

My daughter and her future watchacalllit is on a visit so it will be a great run.

Ermm... is that the real reason you've been getting your gun ready?

(See: #99)

I did feel sorry for you when I saw you there freezing. I brought some delicious cheese that was new in, but true to form cannot remember its name! My husband loved it, a tangy hard cheese bit like a very mature cheddar.
Duh!
Daisy

Hi Daisy, I think you probably had the Lincolnshire Poacher Vintage (2 year old) or Poacher Double Barrel (3 year old), both superb modern, sweet versions of cheddar. And thanks for feeling sorry for me, hopefully spring will arrive next week

Ahhh now that would be telling.

The Zürich HB market is on again tomorrow and I have some samples of the Isle of Mull waxed cheeses both plain and with flavours. I'm not a fan of flavoured cheese but these are actually pretty nice. They are also made with the same raw milk cheese that their more famous traditional cheese is made with, unusual for a waxed cheese. The plain one is is much better than the Snowdonia Black Bomber which may have to make way I'm afraid. Don't be upset though until you have tried the Mull!

The waxed ones are not for sale yet but I'd value your opinion so we're doing a free tasting. My favourite is the Mull mustard (very delicate) but the smoked garlic is also pretty interesting.

There is no market next Wednesday 24th but we'll be back the week after with some very interesting new cheeses. We'll also then be making our first delivery to our latest retail customer, Markthalle Trivisano on the Marktgasse in Winterthur. A beautiful speciality food shop that already has some British foods including a nice range of jams and marmalades. They're starting off with 4 cheeses but will increase to 10 from Saturday May 8th when I'll be there doing a free tasting day.

If you know of a speciality food shop or Deli in your area and think they would be interested in stocking our cheese, please let us know. If they take some, we will send you a 35.00 franc voucher to spend on our cheese at the shop or in our own web shop. We're already talking to shops in Basel, Bern and Thun but would love to have outlets in other areas of Switzerland.

but as always I'll trust your judgement on this

Sounds like your business is expanding!! Great work! Let's hope your supply contract includes a "no freezing!" clause, in case some cheese vandal decides to overstock ...