12 December — Well, away we go.
When this post goes up on the program blog, it’ll be thirteen days until I board my flight back to San Francisco. This past month has gone by especially quickly—probably due in part to the totally-not-depressing seven hours of daylight we’re treated to in December (that is, if the sun bothers to come out at all). I love London, but I loathe sentimentality—mainly because it affects me so much—so I want to avoid waxing poetic about all the things I’ll miss about London for fear of my mascara running while I type this. Let’s change the subject.
My first and only love, as I’m sure I’ve brought up many a time, is cheese. And yes, I know several of my classmates have written about food in their blog entries, but I’d feel incomplete if I didn’t pen this love letter to London’s fromageries. Step aside, Paris: the UK is coming for your cheesy crown, and I’ve travelled to cheese shops all over London to prove it.
Borough Market (London Bridge)—I think this was the first cheese nirvana I stumbled upon here in London, but I can’t be sure. I can’t count how many cheese vendors make Borough Market their home, but they’re all equally friendly and willing to let you try every cheese they have for sale. My “gold star award” goes to the Bath Soft Cheese Co. They make appearances at most London farmer’s markets (including Marylebone below) so you’re bound to catch them somewhere. Their Wyfe of Bath makes my heart sing, and their Bath Blue actually won Supreme Champion at the 2014 World Cheese Awards. Go on a Thursday or Friday when the full market is open– Saturday is painfully crowded and limits one’s cheese sampling potential.
Whole Foods (High Street Kensington)—An unconventional choice for this post, since we have Whole Foods in spades back in Portland, but I’m mentioning this location because they have a room called “The Cheese Room” and every time I’ve gone, they’ve had samples of everything from smoked gouda to a camembert you can just shovel onto crackers for free, folks! For free! Visit with caution—you never know if/how much cheese will be out on any given day. The bar was set high for me a few weeks ago when I tried at least eight different cheeses, and nothing has been the same for me since. I urge you to complete the bourgeoisie Whole Foods experience with a walk around Kensington Gardens.
Marylebone Farmer’s Market (Bond Street)—Out of all the weekend markets I’ve been to save maybe Broadway Market up by Victoria Park, I like this one the best. Maybe it’s the quiet neighborhood, maybe it’s the cheese. It’s probably a bit of both. I’ve noticed that most of the cheese I get to eat when I come here on Sundays (between 10am and 2pm) are goat cheese. Between three vendors, you can try what feels like twenty different types of goat cheese, if that’s your thing. It isn’t for everybody, but I don’t discriminate in my love for cheese. If you’re hungry for more, I urge you to pay a visit to La Fromagerie, one of the most authentic looking cheese shops in London. I’ve visited once before, but I haven’t been able to try their cheeses yet. Don’t worry—I’m planning a visit when my mom arrives. I’ll report back.
This entry is getting painfully long, so I’ll end it here. By the time this post is up, I’ll probably have gone to Wednesday’s Evening of Cheese at Borough Market as my reward for getting through our final exam—I’m sure it’ll be legen-dairy.
...Sorry.
When this post goes up on the program blog, it’ll be thirteen days until I board my flight back to San Francisco. This past month has gone by especially quickly—probably due in part to the totally-not-depressing seven hours of daylight we’re treated to in December (that is, if the sun bothers to come out at all). I love London, but I loathe sentimentality—mainly because it affects me so much—so I want to avoid waxing poetic about all the things I’ll miss about London for fear of my mascara running while I type this. Let’s change the subject.
My first and only love, as I’m sure I’ve brought up many a time, is cheese. And yes, I know several of my classmates have written about food in their blog entries, but I’d feel incomplete if I didn’t pen this love letter to London’s fromageries. Step aside, Paris: the UK is coming for your cheesy crown, and I’ve travelled to cheese shops all over London to prove it.
Borough Market (London Bridge)—I think this was the first cheese nirvana I stumbled upon here in London, but I can’t be sure. I can’t count how many cheese vendors make Borough Market their home, but they’re all equally friendly and willing to let you try every cheese they have for sale. My “gold star award” goes to the Bath Soft Cheese Co. They make appearances at most London farmer’s markets (including Marylebone below) so you’re bound to catch them somewhere. Their Wyfe of Bath makes my heart sing, and their Bath Blue actually won Supreme Champion at the 2014 World Cheese Awards. Go on a Thursday or Friday when the full market is open– Saturday is painfully crowded and limits one’s cheese sampling potential.
Whole Foods (High Street Kensington)—An unconventional choice for this post, since we have Whole Foods in spades back in Portland, but I’m mentioning this location because they have a room called “The Cheese Room” and every time I’ve gone, they’ve had samples of everything from smoked gouda to a camembert you can just shovel onto crackers for free, folks! For free! Visit with caution—you never know if/how much cheese will be out on any given day. The bar was set high for me a few weeks ago when I tried at least eight different cheeses, and nothing has been the same for me since. I urge you to complete the bourgeoisie Whole Foods experience with a walk around Kensington Gardens.
Marylebone Farmer’s Market (Bond Street)—Out of all the weekend markets I’ve been to save maybe Broadway Market up by Victoria Park, I like this one the best. Maybe it’s the quiet neighborhood, maybe it’s the cheese. It’s probably a bit of both. I’ve noticed that most of the cheese I get to eat when I come here on Sundays (between 10am and 2pm) are goat cheese. Between three vendors, you can try what feels like twenty different types of goat cheese, if that’s your thing. It isn’t for everybody, but I don’t discriminate in my love for cheese. If you’re hungry for more, I urge you to pay a visit to La Fromagerie, one of the most authentic looking cheese shops in London. I’ve visited once before, but I haven’t been able to try their cheeses yet. Don’t worry—I’m planning a visit when my mom arrives. I’ll report back.
This entry is getting painfully long, so I’ll end it here. By the time this post is up, I’ll probably have gone to Wednesday’s Evening of Cheese at Borough Market as my reward for getting through our final exam—I’m sure it’ll be legen-dairy.
...Sorry.
—Hannah Unkrich