La Fromagerie

This rather excellent cheesemonger calls Marylebone home and isn't it in good company. Not only is there great shopping (Daunt Books & The Conran Shop are essential) but the food offerings focus on artisanal and organic produce = top notch. If time were on my side I would have loved to give both The Natural Kitchen (café), The Ginger Pig (butcher) and Aubaine (a bit schmancy) a go. I suppose there's always next time (spoilt rotten...)!

Did I just die and go to heaven?! The famed cheese room Credit: hg2london

La Fromagerie is exactly as the francophile name suggests, enough to make anyone lactose intolerant weak at the knees. They pride themselves on sourcing the best regional cheeses and they've curated a perfect selection for the discerning cheese lover. I was amazed when one of the staffers was able to identify a cheese M had been hoping to find after several years...a comté no less! It was like playing 'guess who' (with a few wild stabs in the dark), needless to say both parties left the transaction quite chuffed. Neal's Yard Dairy better watch out!

The rather stylish interiors of the deli Credit: hg2london

The brilliance of this place is not to be understated. Open Monday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea & pre-theatre supper - it is here for any occasion. Split into separate sections, the store also has some designated seating for you to while away an afternoon. Chill back with a shared cheeseboard and glass of your favourite wine and everything else will come easy. I happened to choose (a very generous) glass of Chablis Vieille Vignes 2011 which was incroyable! 

The French cheese board running order (left to right). Those starred are not to be missed!
*Bleu D'Avergne - a stinky but delicious blue
Vieux Bologne - soft cow's cheese with beer washed rind
*Morbier - mild semi soft cow's cheese, more delicate
*Mothais a la Feuille - goat's
Brique du Larzac - soft, tangy sheep's milk

I was quite stoked with this cheese board, and you get the feeling that you are in very capable hands. If there's anything that the Brits (and French) can do well, that's cheese and dairy. In addition to the in-store offerings there is an online cheese room, as well as suppers hosted on Mondays (No 6 at La Fromagerie) and tasting events for the aficionados. Now, if only this was my corner store...

A nice selection of homewares for all your baked/fried/grilled cheesy goodness

Not that Australian cheeses are anywhere close to the quality of those produced in Europe but we do have a few decent purveyors to tickle one's fancy: Formaggi Ocello, Simon Johnson and Paesanella are good starting points. And more recently, The Stinking Bishops has opened up in Enmore; a café haven for cheese lovers. The future is looking bright for us Aussies!

I couldn't resist another shot from the cheese room. The variety is endless, you could literally spend hours in this treasure trove!

Thanks for reading!

xGourmand