Abu Dhabi cheese club

…be a big fan of cheese! Sara Taher meets renowned expert Patricia Michelson, the founder of La Fromagerie, to discuss a new event at Jones the Grocer aimed squarely at Abu Dhabi’s dairy diehards.

Back in May, Jones the Grocer introduced an exciting new club for cheese lovers in the city. For anyone who takes their culinary experiences seriously, this newly formed group is a great outlet to sample new products and experiment with different flavours. The group benefits from monthly hampers and discounts on various cheese products and accompaniments. Members pay an annual fee of Dhs200 and in return they benefit from a wide range of special events and activities. Kicking off this new club is cheese expert Patricia Michelson, who has her own successful La Fromagerie business in the UK and knows all there is to know about the much-loved dairy delight.

How did you first become a professional cheese expert?
It was all by accident. I fell in love with a cheese after a particularly gruelling day on the ski slopes of Meribel in Les Trois Vallées, France. I was walking through the local village and popped into the cheese shop and bought a small piece of Beaufort, which is the local cheese. It was so delicious that I thought to myself, ‘How can something so simple make me feel so much better after an awful day on the slopes?’ I found the cheese maker at the local market in Moûtiers and obtained a 35kg wheel! I took it home and stored it in my garden shed. I went to a few of my favourite restaurants and asked if they would like to try a proper artisan-made alpine cheese. They all loved it and asked if I could get more cheeses, and so my little business began from there. I had a market stall, then opened my first shop in 1992 and my second 10 years later. I now have a dedicated warehouse with specially designed cheese maturing rooms to keep the produce.

What advice do you have for a novice who loves cheese?
Cheese has a high acidity and is a natural palate cleanser because it wakes up the taste buds. Therefore, learn how to enjoy a combination of styles and flavours in a way that is a progression of taste. Once you have mastered the lighter, more fresh tastes and moved forward to the crumblier styles with a good lactic tang, then [try] the deeper richer harder cheeses followed by [some of] the more pungent washed styles before ending with blue metallic flavours.

It is [about] mastering flavours, textures and styles. This is an enjoyable journey for anyone wanting to find out more about cheese and once you start you will [probably] find yourself wanting to match the cheese with different styles of breads and various other condiments.

What is your favourite cheese and what makes it so special?
It will always be the Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage because it was the first cheese to give me such a joyful tasting experience. The Chalet d’Alpage cheeses are from the high mountain summer pastures where the cattle graze from June [until] the end of August. They stay high up the mountain and the shepherds and cheese makers stay there too. Then, in the autumn they come back down to the valleys and the cheeses are put in stone caves to ripen for at least a year or more. Those wonderfully delicate floral flavours and [that]milky, nutty taste is irresistible.

Do you find any competition or resistance being a woman in a male-dominated industry?
In the world of cheese women play a very important role. They often make the cheese and actually have a natural affinity to the animals, often knowing if they are under stress or need special attention when they are having their babies.

What is the weirdest question a customer has ever asked you?
Someone once asked me if I could get a cheese made with ant’s milk! They said that insects were now being reared for gourmet dishes, so would there be cheese? I said that it would possibly take millions of ants to make a small cheese.

Tell us a bit more about the Cheese Club at Jones the Grocer?
This is a great way for people to enjoy different cheeses at tutored tastings and also learn about how to keep cheeses at home, how to mix and match them and also [what] condiments and drinks to serve alongside [them]. It also gives ideas on seasonality although I know it is always hot in Dubai and Abu Dhabi but you still want to enjoy Easter and Christmas and you can learn about great cheeses for these occasions.
There are many varied and interesting products at the shop and to be able to taste them will show you how versatile cheese really is.
For more details about the Cheese Club, simply visit www.facebook.com/jonescheeseclub or just call them on 800 JONES (56637).