Bristol mobile cheesemonger doubles up as food truck serving …

The south west is often considered the spiritual home of cheese - the recipe for cheddar can be traced as far back as the 12th century. One new cheesemonger in Bristol is working hard to reinforce that notion and and spread the good word across Bristol from its shop on wheels.

The Cheese Connection is just a two-person operation, run by Luke and Alex, who collectively have 20 years of experience working with artisan cheese producers. Its namesake highlights the connections the pair have made with some of the finest cheesemakers in the region over the years.

These purveyors of cheese first met at the Fine Cheese Company in Bath and decided to launch their own business in February this year. The mobile cheese shop, which is refrigerated, offers a range of 20-25 cheeses on a seasonal rotation from seven farms in a 30-mile radius to their base in St George ^[2].

Alex and Like have a wealth of cheese knowledge between them

The pair have a wealth of cheese knowledge between them (Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)

Luke said: "We know all of the cheesemakers quite personally and we know the passion, time, care and knowledge that goes into making some of these cheeses. They're doing that day in day out and we want to be out there shouting about them. We know all of our success is hinged on their good work."

He added: "Our vision is that all of these small communities might not warrant having a traditional cheesemonger, a bricks-and-mortar shop. What we want to be able to do is give that community a cheese shop experience but once a week or fortnight, however it best fits, and serve lovely hot food at the same time."

Luke in the cheese shop, which doubles up as a kitchen (Image: The Cheese Connection)

The shop doubles up as a food truck selling cheese toasties, raclette and cheese platters using local and seasonal ingredients. "I think that's what then sings through to our dishes," Luke explained.

"Raclette, there's not too much you can do to elevate it apart from using the best cheese possible. In all of our dishes, cheese is the star of the show."

Raclette served on potatoes topped with house pickles (Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)

We were invited to one of The Cheese Connection's regular pitches at Wiper & True's barrel store in St Werburghs to sample some of its dishes using the finest produce from the south west. The menu is an excellent accompaniment to a pint of Kalidoscope or anything from Wiper & True's stellar beer range (Luke and Alex are also hoping to offer cheese and beer pairings in the future, too).

With this in mind, the three-cheese platter ^[3] for £11 is an essential sharer with friends and a pint in tow. I tested the world-famous Bath Blue, a buttery Silton-style cheese and Bath Soft Cheese, which is mild and creamy like Brie, both made by multigenerational cheesemakers, the Padfield family. These two were accompanied by a nutty Montgomery's cheddar served with a sweet ale chutney, crackers and house pickles.

That all important cheese pull (Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)

Raclette is served over fluffy new potatoes from The French Garden in St Philips (from £9 per portion). The gooey, Alpine cheese melts perfectly and has one of the most satisfying cheese pulls, topped with sour homemade pickled onions. You can customise your dish with different cheeses or a fiery salami from Westcombe Charcuterie.

Their Westcountry cheese toasties are made using sourdough from The Orchard Bakery, starting from £7.50, . You can choose from a decadent mix of Westcombe Cheddar and Ogleshield or that award-winning Bath Blue.

The Cheese Connection also has a spot at the Finzels Reach Market once a fortnight on a Friday. Keep an eye on The Cheese Connection's Instagram page for its locations. If you're not near any of their potches, you can order online ^[4] to be delivered straight to your home.

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References

^{^} Bristol speciality coffee bar opens in former gin distillery (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
^{^} St George (These%20purveyors%20of%20cheese%20first%20met%20at%20the%20Fine%20Cheese%20Company%20in%20Bath%20and%20decided%20to%20launch%20their%20own%20business%20in%20February%20this%20year.%20The%20mobile%20cheese%20shop,%20which%20is%20refrigerated,%20offers%20a%20range%20of%2020-25%20cheeses%20on%20a%20seasonal%20rotation%20from%20seven%20farms%20in%20the%20local%20area.)
^{^} three-cheese platter (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
^{^} online (thecheeseconnection.co.uk)