Chiswick Cheese Market | A monthly cheese congregation in West London
If you’re literally in the market for cheese, then look no further…
London actually has a special market just for cheese.
As the name alludes, the Chiswick Cheese Market sees a gouda amount of fromage fans (sorry, had to…) flock to West London to sniff, admire, possibly cradle and then buy from a selection of around 150 cheeses, sourced from all over the country and covering all your yellows, oranges and blues.
The organisers nickname it ‘Cheesewick’, which while being a witty play on words, also bears historic merit: Cheesewick or Ceswican was Chiswick’s old name and means cheese farm in Old English, while Duke’s Meadow (the neighbourhood’s big park) used to be the site of an annual cheese fair up until the 18th century. Now, buoyed by Jamie Oliver’s heartening ‘save British cheese’ campaign in 2020, a group of self-professed cheese enthusiasts – ten local women who also make up the Cookbook Kitchen – have taken it upon themselves to restore Chiswick back to its former grateness (sorry, had to again…).
Taking place on the third Sunday of the month, you’ll spot the Chiswick Cheese Market hogging most of the space in the Old Market Square. Follow your nose really – the unmistakably stinky but also very alluring smell of cheese wafting through the air, sort of gives it away. Be warned: it can be both an attack on the senses and overwhelming if you possess absolutely no self-restraint when it comes to cheese. There’s stall after stall (about 20 or so in total), balancing well-known national cheesemongers with the niche artisanal producers who sell stuff that can’t be bought anywhere else in London.
On your travels, you’ll walk past award-winning cheese from Bath Cheese Co; aged-parmesan from Emilia; alpine cheeses (and Mont d’Or) from The French Comté; fresh mozzarella and burrata from La Latteria; handmade Sussex goats cheese from Nut Knowle Farm; and even vegan cheese from Palace Culture. Long story short: there’s a lot of cheese. In addition, you’ll also be able to stock up on bread, natural wine, charcuterie, crackers, chutney… all the other components needed to complete the perfect picnic. Perhaps enjoyed at one of London’s best parks?
It’s a gouda idea…
NOTE: The Chiswick Cheese Market takes place on the third Sunday of every month, in Old Market Place. You find more info on their website, here.
Chiswick Cheese Market | 197-199 Old Mkt Pl, Chiswick High Rd, Chiswick, London W4 2DR
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