Comté Androuet
A superior example of a Comte made to a traditional method, giving a complex and fruity cheese with a supple texture.
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Comté Androuet
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Product Details
Our Comte is made in the Jura Mountains on the French side of the Swiss / French border by Affineur's Marcel Petite.
Comte itself is from the Gruyere family and is fairly similar to Gruyere itself, although lighter in character with more complexity and finesse. It is made using the raw milk from Montbeliarde and French Simmentale cows which are fed exclusively on grass and hay, with fermented fodder being banned.
Comte was originally made as a way of storing milk during the long, harsh winter, and was made large enough to be sufficient for a whole family's use for this time. A lot of milk is needed to make each 30-48kg cheese, on average about 500 litres therefore the farmers unite to form co-operatives.
Each batch of Comte has to be assessed for quality and awarded a score out of 20. If a cheese scores below 12 it cannot be sold as Comte, and if scoring between 12 and 15, is covered with a brown label which signifies a slight default in either the texture or the taste. Cheeses scoring above 15 receive a green band are considered to be the best - Paxton & Whitfield Comte has a green band.
Our Domaine St Esteve Merlot is a perfect match for Comte Androuet.
This is a specialist cheese which is made to exacting specifications regarding geography, milk source and recipe, earning it a coveted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
The flora of the Jura region plays a crucial part in the character of this cheese, with the abundance of beautiful flowers and grasses giving a rich complexity to the flavour. This can be particularly noticeable in the Alpage cheeses which are made only in the summer months in dairies which are above the winter snow line. In winter, the cows descend into the valley and if cheese is made at all, it is in the laiteries - village dairies.
Once made by the co-operatives, the Comtes are sold to affineurs who have caves designed for optimum storage and are exceptionally skilled at maturing these cheeses. Paxton & Whitfield Comte comes from the cheeses set aside by the Fromagerie Androuet from world-renowned Affineur Marcel Petite whose family have been maturing Comte for five generations.
Comte is a cooked, pressed cheese that is covered with a rind which protects the interior throughout its maturation. The colour varies from golden yellow to brown depending upon the conditions of the cellar in which it is matured. It is a cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) which amongst other things signifies that it has to be made with raw milk from the regional cows fed on the pastures of the Jura Mountains, colourings and additives are prohibited, and has to be matured for at least four months.
Winter Comte is pale in colour due to the lack of natural vegetable colouring, Carotene, in the cows' diet during this season. It is frequently described as having nutty, earthy and roasted flavours, while the darker, more golden coloured summer cheeses are floral and fruity with a distinct richness. Both of these, however, have the common characteristics of saltiness and sweetness with a mild acidity.
The buyers for Androuet go regularly to see Petite, the affineurs, to set aside their choice of Comte, much as we do Montgomery, Westcombe and Cave Aged cheddars. They iron the cheeses and test them for taste and texture and assess how they will keep and their optimum age.
A representative from Androuet, with whom Paxton & Whitfield have a partnership, will visit the affineurs each year to carefully select the cheeses sold in their shops in Paris and in our shops in the UK. This selection process ensures that we have a consistency in the quality and flavour profile, ensuring a 16+ months of age.
Nutritional Information
How To
Cheese delivery
FREE UK* Delivery when you spend over £40
Fresh, Overnight UK Cheese Delivery
Overnight Cheese Delivery: Our UK delivery charge is £6.95 for UK* orders under £40. Delivery for orders over £40 is free.
*Please note Free UK Delivery is only valid for deliveries to the UK mainland and also excludes deliveries to the Scottish Highlands. We do not currently deliver to Northern Ireland and we do not deliver to international locations outside of the UK.
Named day deliveries on all orders: You can select a delivery date on Tuesday - Saturday when you go to checkout. (Please note. a surcharge of £10 applies to Saturday deliveries) .
Chilled overnight cheese delivery: All of our cheese parcels are cooled with re-usable ice packs and insulated with recyclable packaging. We always use an overnight delivery service for UK mainland orders to ensure that your cheese arrives with you in fine condition.
Hand cut & hand wrapped: Our cheese for online orders is hand cut to order and hand wrapped in Paxton & Whitfield wax paper by our expert cheesemongers. Your cheese will have approximately 12 days shelf life on them from the date of despatch.
Delivery tracking & notifications: Please provide your mobile phone number or email address and you will receive tracking details and anticipated delivery times. On the day that your order is despatched, you will recieve a notification that your delivery is on its way and an anticipated 1 hour delivery time slot.
Carbon-neutral delivery: Our delivery partners at DPD commit to make every parcel they deliver carbon neutral. They measure their CO2 emissions, strive to reduce them, and offset the remaining emissions.
No signature required: You may use the "Delivery Instructions" in the ordering process to provide succinct instructions such as "leave in the garage if out" (choose a cool place) if the recipient is out. The driver is instructed to leave your parcel somewhere safe if you are out to ensure that the cheese is not delayed or held for too long in a warehouse. We regret we cannot accept responsibility for the condition of the goods or non-receipt if goods are not signed for.
UK Highlands & Islands Delivery
There are some places we simply can't get to in under a day and cost more for delivery. If you live in the UK Highlands or Islands, or in a particularly remote location then an additional delivery charge and longer delivery time may apply. You will be notified of any additional charge when you go to checkout.
Click & Collect
If you would prefer to avoid the queues, rather not wait for delivery or avoid delivery cost then try our FREE order online Click & Collect service.
Simply order on line one day and collect your purchases the next day from your chosen shop. This service is available at all four Paxton & Whitfield shops in Jermyn Street, London; Cale Street, London and Bath.
This service is only available for the items that are listed on our web-site. If you want to place an order for products that are not included on the web-site please call the shop and place a telephone order for the entirety of your order directly with them on the phone. See Visit Our Shops for contact details and maps of each shop. Please note that we are unable to process orders that include items for collection from one of the shops as well as items for delivery. If you want to split your purchase please place two separate orders – one for collection and one for delivery.
Place and pay for your order online
Orders placed before 5pm are available for collection at your chosen shop after 11am the next day that the shop is open. (Pick ups not available Sundays and Bank Holidays).
Orders placed after 5pm are available for collection at your chosen shop after 2pm the next day that the shop is open. (Pick ups not available Sundays and Bank Holidays).
If you do not want to pick up your goods the following day, please specify in the comments box of the Order Form the day and approximate time (ie morning before 1pm/afternoon after 12 noon) that you want to collect the goods. Please note that 2 full working days are required for any orders which include a Ham.
Pickup In Store
Maps and opening times of our shops are available at Visit Our Shops. Details of the shop that you have chosen to collect from will be shown on your receipt.
Please give a contact number so that we can call you if there are any issues with your order.
On arrival at the Shop please make your way to the counter where a sales assistant will be able to collect your purchases. At particularly busy times, for example, just before Christmas please make your way to the Collection Point which will be clearly identifiable.
To ensure we are handing over your purchase to the correct person, please bring with you a copy of your order receipt email or, at a minimum, your order number. Goods will not be released without this information.
Your order will be available for collection for 24 hours. If you are unable to collect it within that time, please contact the shop from where you were meant to be collecting your goods (see Visit Our Shops) to rearrange collection.
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