Solstice with the Studds cheese night: here’s what we tried
If you missed out on Last Friday and Saturday nights our Sandy Bay store was transformed into a warm, glowing winter feast all of its own. at our Sandy Bay store last week, here’s the rundown of the delicious cheeses we tried, and how to enjoy them at home on a cold winter’s night.
Last Friday and Saturday nights our Sandy Bay store was transformed into a warm, glowing winter feast all of its own. Candles lit a long table decorated with dark red flowers and set with delicious accompaniments, including plentiful Josef Chromy NV Tasmanian Cuvée. The rest of the store was in darkness as twenty cheese-curious people sat down for a winter cheese experience led by Sam and Ellie Studd.
The siblings, the now grown-up children of international cheese expert Will Studd, took us on a journey from the sweet summer pastures of northern Greece to the ancient limestone caves running beneath the village church in Roquefort. We learned, tasted and drank over nearly two hours, and left with a new understanding of the importance of traditional cheesemaking and why such cheeses taste so good.
Sam and Ellie also took time to meet, share a drink, chat and sign copies of their book (that was included in the ticket) for guests on the night, making it a truly personal experience for everyone involved.
Sam and Ellie selected some incredible cheeses for us to try, all from their curated range, Selected by Will Studd, available at selected Hill Street stores:
• Aphrodite, a beachwood barrel-aged feta from northern Greece, which was served baked and splashed with Wild Mother Black Cherry Vincotto, a perfect match of sweetness and tang.
• Le Duc Vacherin, a spruce-bound white mould soft ripened cheese from the mountains of the Franche-Comte region of France, also baked to an oozy warm indulgence and complimented with some Coaldale pickled walnuts, which cut through the cheese’s creamy, cauliflower richness.
• Marcel Couronne Comté, matured in the underground cellars at Fort Saint Antoine, also in the mountains of the Franche-Comte region, which we enjoyed at room temperature, savouring its nutty, caramel notes.
• Le Conquérant Camembert, served warmed in its traditional wooden poplar box, was deliciously soft and aromatic with hints of wet straw (in a good way!), brassica and apples. The addition of some Black Garlic from Pure Purple in Tasmania was a sweet, smooth compliment to the melty, rich cheese.
• Le Roi Roquefort topped off the night and is the king of cheeses for a reason. It is an unpasteurised ewe’s milk blue cheese, whose curds are, at the hooping-stage, sprinkled with the maker, Delphine Carles’ unique combination of Penicillium Roqueforti moulds, drained for two days and then transported to the village of Roquefort for maturation on ancient oak shelving in family caves beneath the crypt of the village church. We tried this cheese at room temperature and were encouraged to taste it on the tip of our tongues, where it simply melted and flooded our tastebuds with its unmistakeable balance of rich, sweet, and salty flavours.
We were delighted to host Sam and Ellie and already have more collaborations with them and their fabulous cheeses, in the works.
All the cheeses featured are available in the cheese rooms at Hill Street West Hobart and Hill Street Sandy Bay, and selected Hill Street stores - please check with your local Hill Street for availability. For more information on these cheeses, and some serving inspiration and recipes, visit Selected by Will Studd or pick up Sam and Ellie’s book, The Best Things in Life are Cheese, available at Hill Street Home.
