Stalwarts of upscale and historic St James’s – Paxton & Whitfield (cheesemongers since 1797) and The Stafford London (one of this city’s most historic and storied five-star hotels) – teamed up for a recent mocktails and cheese pairing, one which I was more than happy to oblige an invitation to taste and critique.
The tasting was held in the backroom at Paxton & Whitfield’s flagship on Jermyn Street with drinks provided by The Stafford’s American Bar. As it does for so many numerous quality venues, Paxton supplies the cheese to The Stratford.
It hadn’t been so long since I last had poked my head in this powerfully pungent (and wondrously so) cheese shop, but it has been ages since I was paid the American Bar a visit. Word is it’s had a makeover. I’m keen to check it out and hope it still retains the ambience I remember loving so well (stay tuned!).
Here’s a look at the drinks and the cheeses they were paired with:
- Pear Summer (pear juice, apple juice, lemon juice and rosemary syrup)
with Ticklemore (pasteurised goat’s milk, vegetarian rennet, made in South Devon); - Pomegranate Fizz (pomegranate juice, pink grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, vanilla sugar)
with Gorwydd Caerphilly (unpateurised cow’s milk, traditional rennet, made in North Somerset); - Tropical Fruit (pineapple juice, passion fruit, orange juice, lemongrass syrup)
with Lincolnshire Poacher (unpasteurised cow’s milk, traditional rennet, made in the Lincolnshire Wolds); - The Scoop (Seedlip non-alcoholic spirit, coconut water, aloe vera, lime juice, cucumber, mint)
with Golden Cross (unpasturised goat’s milk, vegetarian rennet, made in East Sussex); and - The Republic (mixed tropical fruit, lemonade)
with Gorgonzola Dolce PDO (thermised cow’s milk, traditional rennet, made in Piemonte, Italy).
Each drink was yummy and refreshing. The cheeses were all gloriously irresistible. My favourite drink was The Scoop. Favourite cheese was definitely that Gorgonzola. As for the optimal pairing? Hmmm … I thought they are were smartly put together but maybe the Tropical Fruit with the Poachers (kinda along the same lines of a Cheddar and pineapple canapé). All cheeses are obviously available at Paxton & Whitfield. And the mocktails and cheeses are available at the American Bar.
One thing’s for sure: the folks at both Paxton and Stafford know their stuff. In addition to the tasty treats, I loved seeing these two classics of St James’s trying their collective hand at innovative and atypical pairings of mocktails with cheese.
Paxton & Whitfield is located at 93 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6JE, with shops in Chelsea, Bath and Stratford upon Avon as well. Find out more at paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk.
The Stafford London is located at 16-18 St James’s Place SW1A 1NJ. Find out more at thestaffordlondon.com.
