Follow the route of Le Tour de France 2021 with a box of French cheese selected by our cheesemongers and Ian, our cycling-enthusiast chef, for you to enjoy along the way. Look for something more than cheese? Below is also list of drinks and snacks recommendations.
Contents includes 5 French cheeses & 1 bag of Bret's Camembert Chips
- Bret’s Camembert Chips 125g
- Jacquin Rond la Tradition 150g
- Marcel Petite Comté AOC 'le bleu label' 150g
- Bleu d'Auvergne 150g
- Onetik Ossau Iraty 150g
- Brillat Savarin 200g
Stages 1 - 4 Le Tour 2021 starts in Brittany - not really cheese-producing country but home of the best cheese flavoured potato chips you’re ever going to taste - Bret’s Camembert Chips.
Stages 5 - 6 Changé - Laval Espace Mayenne / Tours - Châteauroux (Loire Valley)
Jacquin Rond la Tradition - This white mould goats milk cheese from the Loire region of France has a soft, fragile texture with savoury & slightly earthy flavours. The edible rind will become more wrinkled and peppery with age and when fully mature the cheese looks rustic with flecks of blue and white mould on the rind.
Drink
The wine of the Loire region is Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) - enjoy a chilled glass & pretend it's summer in France.
Snack
What could be a nicer way to start your Le Tour de France snacking than with some soft goats cheese, a little City Larder Free Range Chicken, Leek & Truffle terrine and a glass of something elegant
Stage 7 Verzon - Le Creusot (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte)
Marcel Petite Comté AOC 'le bleu label' 150g
Marcel Petite Comté 'le bleu label' is a hard cows milk cheese matured by one of the most respected affineurs in France. It takes more than 500L of milk – the daily production of 30 cows - to make one wheel of Comté. Remember that as you enjoy the concentrated nutty texture and gentle sweet honey flavour which reflects natural mountain pastures upon which the cows graze.
Drink
Full-bodied whites such asWilimee Chardonnay,Tarrington Vineyards Chardonnay or Viognier
Snack
Layer a substantial slice of bread with thick-cut ham, a little mustard if it takes your fancy and generous slices of Comté topped with a few cornichons.
Stages 8 – 10, 11 (Provence-Alps-Cotes d’Azur) 12 (Auvergne-Rhône-Alps)
Bleu d'Auvergne 150g
This classic French cows milk blue cheese is named for the Auvergne region of France. It is dense and creamy with a mellow, grassy flavour that can get a little spicy with age.
If blue cheese isn’t your thing, this region is also known for soft creamy white mould cheeses such asLe Dauphin Double Crème – always a crowd pleaser with its yeasty, mild buttery flavour and silky texture.
Drink
A dark beer such as a porter or stout pairs particularly well with this creamy blue cheese. If you’d rather stick to wine, try something on the sweeter end of things such as the luscious local favouritePennyweight Gold.
Le Dauphin commands something lighter altogether.Andrè Clouet Champagne would be just the bottle you’re looking for.
Snack
Thin slices of toasted rye bread with someCunliffe & Waters Caramelised Fig & Quince Jam and generous smear of Bleu d'auvergne.
If you’ve gone the soft white mould cheese direction then we recommend some crispyFine Cheese Co Toast for cheese
Stages 13 - 17 Nîmes to Carcassonne, to Quillan,Céret to Andorra la Vella, Pas de la Case - Saint-Gaudens, Muret - Col du Portet
Onetik Ossau Iraty 150g
This smooth, semi-hard cheese displays distinctly nutty flavours and lingering caramel sweetness. Its earthy, aromatic rind is typical of ewe’s milk cheeses made in the Pyrénées. The floral aftertaste brings to mind pastures of wildflowers and grass.
Drink
Enjoy with a glass ofTarrington Vineyards Pinot Noir, dry Rosé or a full-bodied Chardonnay
Snack
Make yourself a platter with some of our slow aged, free-rangeAssorted Charcuterie, somemarinated olives and ourhousemade lavosh.
Finale – Paris
Brillat Savarin 200g
This delicate, fluffy white mould is one of France’s classic triple crème cheeses. Made from cows milk and added crème fraiche, it is luscious, creamy and buttery with a slightly sour note. As it matures, the rind blooms and becomes spicy, and the texture is like a rich, buttery mousse.
Drink
Celebrate the final stages with Brillat-Savarin and Andrè Clouet 'Grande Réserve' Champagne - you deserve it!
Snack
Thinly sliced fruit bread or some lightwaterwheel crackers will more than amply convey this celebratory cheese to your tastebuds, as you alternate between sips of champagne and mouthfuls of cheese. Bon appetit!
Order our 5 Cheese Box onlinefor in-store pickup or delivery
We would love it if you can tag us in a photo of your le Tour de France late night snacks
#harperandblohm #toursnacks
