The emergence of winter signifies the arrival of the decadent Mont d’Or. This seasonal soft cows’ milk cheese is made by Les Jarrons cooperative in the Doubs region of Franche-Comté. These young cheeses only mature at Fort Saint Antoine for one or two months before coming to us in London each year. Mont d’Or is available in the autumn and winter months, from mid-October to late February.
Production of these cheeses only starts each year when the cows are brought down from the high pastures towards the end of summer months and their milk yields reduce. This, along with harsh winters, made the production and transport of Comté more difficult. Mont d’Or was traditionally therefore the perfect cheese to sustain mountain farmers through the winter.
Cheeses are wrapped in a spruce bark which infuses the cheese with pine notes and a perfect white snow rind forms on top of the cheese. This natural mould rind surrounds an almost liquid creamy and sticky cheese with flavours of juniper and rosemary. Mont d’Or can be spread onto a croissant or spooned on top of potatoes. It is also an extremely popular cheese to bake in the oven and serve with a crusty baguette. A perfect winter supper.