Hi Cheese Lovers,

Do you love to travel? To quote the late Anthony Bourdain, "I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable."  Nothing could be more accurate, so I want to share our AMAZING trip planned for October 2022 and see if I can entice some of you to join us!

We began taking cheese trips with Cheese Journeys a few years ago, and so far, we have had customers join us in Italy and France. This time we are packing our bags for England. Now I know many of you think England? What is so great about England? Many of you have been there before. We also have, but we promise this trip will be every bit as delicious and intriguing as Italy or France and a whole lot of fun!

The tour, which begins in London on Oct. 2, features a walking tour of Borough Market, a food lovers paradise, and a private tour of Neal's Yard Dairy. Neal's Yard is rolling out the red carpet for us because we have so many customers who love British cheese, and we sell a lot of it. They want to meet you! We will get an inside look at the selecting, maturing, and global exporting of Britain's best farmhouse cheese and be treated to a private tasting. After a night's stay at the London Bridge Hotel, we travel to North Cadbury Court in Somerset for the rest of the week — a 21-bedroom English manor, the family home to world-renowned cheddar maker Jamie Montgomery.

British farmhouse cheddar is a cheese that people tend to overlook partly because the term "cheddar" does not have a protected designation of origin. Cheddar is everywhere. I know some of you believe cheddar is not that exciting but trust us. A magnificent farmhouse English cheddar is every bit as impressive and delicious as Comté from France, Roquefort, or Camembert. British Farmhouse Cheddar production is rooted in Somerset, and Slow Food has even seen fit to give these West Country Cheddars a special recognition. Our home for the week is smack dab in the middle of the best!

Our week is full of cheese education, cheesemaking, cooking classes, and tasting events. A highlight is the cheesemaker dinner when Cheese Journeys has invited several British producers of many types of cheese to a grand tasting class and dinner. It also features a day trip to Bath on Oct. 6, with the opportunity for a private walking food tour, a visit to the Jane Austen Museum, or a tour of the Roman Baths. While in Somerset, we will also dive into the world of British beer and cider. Somerset happens to be the home of great beer makers and is cider central. 

While our trip naturally focuses on cheese, the trip will appeal to anyone who loves exploring food through travel. Britain has an incredible food scene that I think is overlooked. The farm-to-table movement is massive in England, and the food had never been better. The quality and level of the food are every bit as good as anywhere else in the world! Our chef for the week, Sylvain Jamois, is tremendous. He fed us well in Italy and France, and we can't wait for him to cook for us again in England. 

Lastly, guests will have plenty of time for rest and relaxation, even with a full schedule of culinary activities. At North Cadbury Court, we have the opportunity to swim, play tennis or golf or hike through the countryside. Our final full trip day features a spa day, followed by an English garden lunch and a ride on the Montgomery Cheddar hot air balloon. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? We hope you will consider joining us. Check out the links below to see some pictures from the same trip last November, as well as this video tour of North Cadbury Court, our home for the journey. Have questions? Feel free to reach out to Anna, owner of Cheese Journeys.

Laura, Chris, and The Cheesemongers