Ada’s Guide to Cheese Management

A Few Words Before You Begin

Cheese is a living thing. It keeps its composure best when left whole, so if you can, enjoy it as soon as you are able. A larger piece will always fare better than a small one, though life does not always allow for such neatness. When you must store cheese, think of this not as rules but as gentle guidance. Seasons change, cheeses change, and a little attention goes a long way.

 Where Cheese Likes to Sit

 If your cheese must go in the refrigerator, the salad drawer is usually the kindest place. It is slightly warmer and better at holding moisture. Do not, however, share this space with salad leaves or vegetables, which can carry bacteria unfriendly to cheese. Cheese prefers its own quiet corner.

 How Warm or Cool It Ought to Be

 Cheeses have their preferences. Hard cheeses are content in cooler, steady places, somewhere between 8 and 15 degrees. A cool cellar is ideal, but so too is any unheated room with a consistent temperature. At warmer levels they will continue to mature, which is not always a bad thing.

 Soft cheeses and blues are more delicate and should be kept cooler, ideally between 5 and 8 degrees in the refrigerator.

On Air, Dampness, and Common Sense

 Most cheeses enjoy a moist atmosphere. Around 80% humidity suits them well. A cellar, dairy, or fridge drawer often provides this naturally. If not, cover the cheese with a clean, lightly damp cloth or keep it in a container that prevents moisture escaping. A cheese bell or even a simple cardboard box will do nicely. Too dry and the cheese may crack; too damp and mould will flourish. Moulds are part of a cheese’s natural life and often improve its flavour. If they offend the eye, simply scrape them away.

 What to Wrap It In (and What Not To)

 The waxed paper we use is chosen with care. It allows the cheese to breathe while protecting it from drying out too quickly. Cling film, if used for long periods, traps moisture and encourages mould. Should you use it, wrap only the cut face and leave the rind uncovered. Replace it each time you open the cheese. Foil, on the other hand, suits moist blue cheeses rather well.

 How Long It Will Keep

 Each cheese carries its own rhythm. Follow the Use By or Best Before date as a guide. Hard cut cheeses, including robust blues such as Stilton, will happily keep for at least a week when wrapped and stored with care. Our cheeses are cut to order and generally allow around twelve days of good keeping.

 At Christmas, deliveries are made a little earlier than the day itself. Keeping cheese refrigerated during this time will slow its progress and help it arrive at the table in good form.

When It Comes to the Table

 Cheese is at its best when it has time to wake up. Allow it to come to room temperature, around 18 to 23 degrees, for an hour before serving. Cut with respect to its shape. Wedges should follow their natural lines. Rounds should be sliced as you would a cake, so each portion carries its fair share of rind. Cut only what you intend to eat, as small pieces dry quickly and lose their charm.

 Cheese is often best served before dessert, when the palate is still attentive and the wine from the main course can continue its duty. That said, there is much to be said for lingering at the table, returning to the cheese now and then, conversation drifting as crumbs gather. The choice is entirely yours. Serve with good bread or crackers, and a few well-chosen pickles or chutneys, and let the evening take care of itself.