A Spot of Cheese
Where: London, England
Great Britain's great cheese-making tradition has bounced back from near-extinction -- and that renaissance has at least in part been spurred on by London's two finest cheese purveyors, Paxton & Whitfield and Neal's Yard Dairy.
There's no question which of the two has the more venerable pedigree -- Paxton & Whitfield, at 93 Jermyn St. (tel.
44/20/7930 0259;
www.paxtonandwhitifled.co.uk) has been around since 1797, and in its current premises for more than a century.
The gold-lettered black storefront looks like something out of Dickens, or a Beatrix Potter watercolor, with its largepaned vitrine stacked high with substantial cheeses and hams. On prominent display is the crest of its Royal Warrant as cheesemonger to the queen; Winston Churchill himself praised this refined little venue in St. James as the only place where a gentleman (or his gentleman's gentleman) should buy his cheese, although its proximity to
Jermyn Street haberdashers may have swung Churchill's vote.
But there's no disputing the store's depth in both English and French cheeses -- ask the knowledgeable counterman to cut you a wedge of well-aged Stilton, creamy Brie des Meaux, a supple Camembert, or a hearty farmhouse Cheddar, accompanied perhaps by oatcakes and a bottle of P&W's own real ale. P&W also has suitably discreet-looking branches in
Stratford-Upon-Avon (13 Wood St.) and in
Bath (1 John St.) -- not coincidentally two other towns with plenty of Ye Olde England tourist appeal.
By comparison, Neal's
Yard
Dairy, at 17 Shorts Garden,
Covent Garden (tel.
44/20/7240 5700;
www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk) is an upstart, and yet many British foodies would give it the nod as London's best cheese shop. Founded in 1979, it quickly became a player in Britain's nascent whole foods movement, and was a catalyst in transforming the gritty Covent Garden area into a retail hotspot. The Neal's Yard guys made their own cheeses as well as sourcing artisanal products directly from small cheese makers around the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Although the operation has grown into a major business, the original passion for British cheese (some would say obsession) is still apparent. The store has a sort of scrubbed-deal honesty that's very appealing, with immense wheels and wedges of cheese jumbled everywhere -- not only double and single Gloucester, but more unusual varieties such as Irish Gubbeen and Cornish Yarg and Welsh Caerphilly, not to mention Stinking Bishop. Though the selection is smaller than P&W's, the focus on flavor and quality comes through; they also offer several unpasteurized cheeses. Neal's Yard has an outlet at Borough Market as well.
Nearest Airport:Heathrow (24km/15 miles) or Gatwick (40km/25 miles).
Where to Stay:22
Jermyn
St., 22 Jermyn St., St. James (tel.
800/682-7808 in the U.S., 44/20/7734-2353;
www.22jermyn.com).
Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth St., Covent Garden (tel.
800/553-6674 in the U.S., 44/20/7806-1000;
www.firmdale.com).
