The time of year for cheese lovers

There are some months when I think that this job is truly the best one for a cheese lover to have. December usually proves it to me, and this year is no exception. Last week, I went along to the annual ceremony of the Christmas cheeses at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, West London and had an enjoyable afternoon chatting with the Chelsea Pensioners and Derek Derenalagi, the Team GB Paralympic discus thrower, among others.

That event really kicks off the Christmas season for me, and it combines the best of tradition and jolly spirit in one lovely package. I was also heartened to see that woman pensioners are now welcomed into what is a unique institution.

I also headed to a restaurant in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral to spend some quality time eating PDO Comté cheese from the Massif du Jura region of France, which is near the Swiss border. It is really heartening to see cheese makers getting the word out to journalists who might not normally eat this type of cheese, and to see how much the producers love talking about it.  More than 50,000 tons of Comté are produced each year in France, making it the country’s top PDO. See photo – the things I do for the readership! It’s a tough job….

Like the Comté team, cheese makers have to continue to get the cheese out to the consumers. If they can taste it, they will buy and eat it. And at this time of year, it is the perfect opportunity to get those consumers’ jaws working on cheese – be it Comté, Stilton or cheddar.