Variety is the cheese of life

Imagine 37 types of the same brand of cheese. And not just any old cheese, mind. Castello—an artisan Danish range that has also found fame in North America, having won multiple awards. 

Happily, you don’t need to merely imagine; you can see and taste for yourself this varied and sophisticated collection at Castello’s pop-up cheese emporium. Following similar poppings up in Copenhagen and New York earlier this year, it has graced London’s trendy Commercial Street for the last month. 

On entering the shop, my pal Lucy and I were greeted immediately by a friendly French assistant who led us directly to the tasting station at the front. We tried an inoffensive Castello Creamy White, on a Table Water Cracker topped with Hot Gooseberry Chutney. Delightful in itself, we washed this down with a small sample of zingy Apple & Ginger juice by Cawston Press. 

The shop floor is spacious with high ceilings, allowing plenty of room to browse and sample the various types of Castello cheese. After our Creamy White experience, we enjoyed soaking Araldica Barbaresco Corsini in Acacia honey, dabbing Castello Tickler—Mature Cheddar—with onion relish; plus, I even tried and approved of the Castello Creamy Blue, smothered in Morello cherry jam. 

This short advert, which aired earlier this year, is a great homage to balance and how delicately the flavours combine in the Creamy Blue. 

Indeed, one of the most marvellous aspects about this Castello pop-up store is that they instruct you in exactly which combinations work with each cheese. For example, you should drink Falstaff Cider with the Creamy White, eat Melba toast and Acacia honey with an Aged Havarti, along with a glug of Barbaresco Wine; while the Marquis sweetly matches Lemon Butter Shortbread and lemon curd, washed down with wheat beer. 

You can also purchase almost everything you need in relation to Castello cheese, from cheese boards, to fondue kits, a myriad of knives, posh chutneys, chocolate, biscuits, bread and juices.

Prices seemed very reasonable. I bought Hot Gooseberry Chutney, Castello White with Green Peppercorns and a packet of five small creamy samples (chives, black pepper, pineapple and blue) all for just over a fiver.

Lucy and cheese goodies

If you fancy sampling some of Castello’s sophisticated creations, the Shoreditch pop-up store is open until Oct. 24. I went on a weeknight, however if you stop by on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you can try various combinations of cheese, drinks and nibbles. Plus, Castello has enlisted wine connoisseur Matt Day to match your wine, beer or cider to the perfect Castello cheese. Why, how fabulous! 

After trying some of samples we’d purchased, we both agreed the Pineapple Halo was irresistibly sweet and delicious, thanks to its delicate layer of pineapple, papaya and almonds. It’s fortunate that I didn’t buy the regular sized version, as I strongly suspect I would have gorged the whole thing in one sitting. Arteries, be grateful.