Easter Cheese and Fruit Cake

Easter Cheese - Eating Cheese with Fruit Cake

Lucy, Cheesemonger at our London Chelsea Store, has been trying some seasonal combinations

You may think Easter is all about the chocolate and eggs, but we at Paxton & Whitfield never miss an opportunity to eat more cheese. Of course, we see it as our duty to share our cheese explorations with you, our cheese-loving customers.

Cheese has traditionally been paired with fruit cake at Christmas, and the people of Yorkshire were first to enjoy a slice of crumbly Wensleydale with their rich, dense cake. But why should Christmas have all the fun? If you enjoy the combination, we have the perfect fruit cake for your needs, full of figs, dates, apple and walnuts, it is a must for any cheeseboard!

As Easter approaches, consider the slightly unusual combination of adding cheese to your hot cross bun. We can think of no better accompaniment to a fruited hot cross bun, fresh from the toaster and thickly buttered.

Like the people of Yorkshire, we favour a light, crumbly cheese with our cake or bun. The savoury contrast to the sweet fruit in the cake, along with the creamy, lactic cheese is worth exploring further. So, in the interests of experimentation, we have paired three cheeses with our sweet, fruity 'Fruit Cake for Cheese' and a hot cross bun.

Pairing 1. Appleby's Cheshire Cheese & Fruit Cake

First up was Appleby’s Cheshire cheese. Moist and crumbly, its flavour is clean and zesty on the tongue followed by a rich, lingering, mouth-watering finish. The acidity of the cheese is the perfect complement to the sweetness of the fruit in the cake, the gentle orange colouring to the cheese is just the thing to brighten up the day.

Pairing 2. Kirkham's Lancashire Cheese & Fruit Cake

Secondly, we chose Kirkham’s Lancashire, perhaps a more classic option and a cheese that’s also often served with a densely fruited Eccles cake. Kirkham’s Lancashire uses milk from pasture land near the Irish sea and the tasty quality of the milk and its cheese is said to be due to the wind-driven sea salt. Open-textured and buttery, the Lancashire has a hint of sharpness which cuts through the richness of the cake, creating a delightful combination.

Pairing 3. Gorwydd Caerphilly Cheese & Hot Cross Buns

Finally, and perhaps most unusually, we picked Gorwydd Caerphilly to pair with a hot cross bun. This Caerphilly, though originally a Welsh cheese, hails from Somerset and it has a crumbly texture and a light, lactic almost cistrussy taste. This citrus quality works really well with the tangy fruit and the creaminess was absolutely delicious on top of a hot, buttered, hot cross bun.

So why not give it a go this Easter? Crumbly, fresh tasting cheese on top of a slab or rich fruit cake or buttery hot cross bun - a match made in heaven (or Yorkshire). Browse our online Easter cheese selections for the ultimate in seasonal cheese; partnerships delivered to your door, or pop in and talk to your expert Paxton & Whitfield cheesemongers in our London and Bath cheese shops.