Sites of cheese heaven in London

Today was a day that would have inspired Wallace and Grommit! Mr Ebert and I visited purveyors of the finest cheeses in London.

We first found the International Cheese Centre in the West Mall of Liverpool Street Station, upon the recommendation of Mrs Green. Scattered columns of hard cheeses, tiers of soft wedges, shades from autumnal reds to gold and cream.  Do not be daunted by the variety, look out for the availability samples for a mere pound, or ask for advice on flavour or complementarity to your intended use; the Proprietor, Mr Kenny, has acquired decades of experience in cheeses from Great Britain and abroad.

Paxton and Whitfield are situated in Jermyn Street in the heart of the City'squality establishments. Crossing the threshold, one is struck by two things, the rich, musty, mouthwatering smell of cheese, and a sudden dip in room temperature. There are shelves of goat cheeses, Rounds of cheddars, Red Leicester and Stiltons from British artisan cheese-makers, rich and multihued samples from abroad spread across the main table and cheese related accessories and books compliment the display. Again, the staff are well versed in cheese and it is a pleasure to browse until seduced to a purchase.

I came back with a small, rich crumbly-creamy Stilton and a slice of artisan Red Leicester, so different and alive from the supermarket fare.