French cheese plate ideas: Briton Matthew Feroze, 2013 winner of the Concours National des Fromagers at the prestigious Salon Mondiale de Restauration et Hôtellerie, tells us which cheeses he used to put together his award winning cheese platter with a great description of each cheese, and as a masterclass on how to create a perfect cheeseboard – its unbeatable – literally!
Ten Cheeses required by the judges
Roquefort AOP – Blue ewe’s milk cheese from the Midi-Pyrenées, buttery texture and piquant taste.
Tome des Bauges AOP – Pressed cow’s milk cheese from the French Alps with a fruity character.
Rigotte de Condrieu AOC – Small dry goat’s cheese with lots of goaty punch.
Langres AOP – Sticky, orange rind with mild creamy centre, don’t be put off by the smell.
Sainte-Maure de Touraine AOP – Log-shaped goat’s cheese from the centre of France, delicate flavours with pleasant acidity.
Salers Tradition AOP – Large pressed cow’s milk cheese with exceptional character, an uncompromising herby bitterness.
Camembert de Normandie AOP – Classic soft cow’s milk cheese that can be strong but remains milky and salty in taste.
Fourme de Montbrison AOP – Cylindrical with an orange rind and faint blue marbling, a very mild blue that’s perfect to cook with.
Abondance AOP – Pressed cow’s milk Alpine cheese with a buttery, fruity taste.
Neufchâtel AOP – Heart shaped cow’s milk cheese similar to camembert but less creamy.
My selected cheeses
Vacherin du Haut-Doubs AOP – Brilliantly gooey cow’s milk cheese, can be served hot for a readymade miniature fondue.
Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage AOP – Beautifully complex and fruity alpine cow’s milk cheese.
Selles-sur-Cher AOP – Disk shaped goats milk cheese from the central region of France.
Munster Fermier AOP – This may be the smelliest of French cheeses. It has a surprisingly mild and rich taste though.
Valençay AOP – Pyramid shaped goat’s milk cheese, the rind can be dark and intimidating, but don’t be put off, it’s the best bit!
Fumaison – A smoked ewe’s milk cheese from the Auvergne region in France, subtle and smoky.
West Country Farmhouse Cheddar PDO – Farm produced version of this British classic, with a fruity, complex flavour.
Piacentinu Ennese DOP – A hard Sicilian ewe’s milk cheese infused with saffron and peppercorns for a robust taste – perfect before dinner with a glass of wine.
Stilton PDO – The king of cheeses: a strong blue with a luxuriant buttery texture.
Charolais AOP – Goat’s milk cheese from the Burgundy region, goaty with some acidity. Perfect when sliced into a fresh salad.
Brocciu AOP – A fresh ewe’s milk cheese from Corsica, sweet and mild and great with some quality jam or honey.
Taleggio DOP – A washed rind Italian cow’s milk cheese with a creamy texture and floral taste, can get quite pungent with age…
Mimolette – This cow’s milk cheese from the north of France has the appearance of a rusty cannon ball, with an orange/red centre (read about the history of Mimolette)
Gruyère Suisse AOC – A large hard cow’s milk cheese with a spectacular fruity and savoury flavour.
Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP – The well-known Italian cheese often grated on pizza but is great nibbled in little chunks as an aperitif.
Click here to read our interview with Matthew Feroze.
