Hard Cheese

Neil’s Yard Dairy was founded in 1979 and after various vicissitudes making yoghurt, ice creams and soft cheeses found its feet selling hard cheese, soft cheese and blue cheese.

Of course Paxton and Whitfield, founded in 1742, and boasting a royal warrant from Charles III, and one of the oldest cheesemongers in England, is more famous. But there is no doubt NYD wins as best newcomer and for the quality of its cheeses. Guess how much cheese NYD sold in 2020? 550 tonnes.

“One of the first customers was Monty Python’s John Cleese. The new owners were still learning how to make cheese, and “had only managed yoghurt that day, so it all rather descended into a Monty Python sketch”. Despite this rocky start, the store grew from a cheesemaker into a retailer of artisanal, mostly British and Irish cheeses (including farmhouse Cheddar cheese and varieties such as Stinking Bishop), spinning off the cheesemaking operation as Neal’s Yard Creamery in 1985.“ (Wikipedia)

The gentrification of Barons Court will be complete when the corner shop is a Little Waitrose. Meanwhile the bulging cemetery wall has been pulled down so the pavement is operational again. When it will be rebuilt is another matter. The council have a habit of making things safe and then procrastinating on restoration.

There is a hotel next to Geo. Trumper and I paid its lavatories a visit before a haircut. I was impressed that it advertised afternoon tea for £45, booking essential, and fell to thinking if this was the most expensive afternoon tea on the market. Not by a long chalk. There are plenty of dearer cups of Darjeeling in London but, until somebody corrects me, I think Cliveden takes the Victoria Sponge at £550 for two and the hotel brags it’s the most expensive afternoon tea in the world. Whatever would Christine Keeler make of that?

Closer to home, work on my neighbour’s loft extension has started and is sometimes rather noisy. I cannot complain nor can his other neighbour as we have both done loft extensions ourselves.