2022 Le Tour de France Cheese Box
Follow the route of Le Tour de France 2022 with a box of French cheese selected by our cheesemongers and Ian, our cycling-enthusiast chef, for you to enjoy along the way. Enjoy 5 premium cheeses - 4 French and 1 Swiss - as well as the best cheese chips to snack on, presented in race order.
- Add on biscuits, cured meats and other accompaniments to your cart and we will pack these extra items all together.
- Fancy something to drink with your cheese? View our full range here
- If you've got any other queries, don't hesitate to contact us at hello@harperandblohm.com
- Available for delivery or Click & Collect from Wednesday 29th June
Order your Le Tour de France 2022 Cheese Box here
Mimolette Vielle 100g - Stage 5 Lille Metropole > Arenberg Porte du Hainaut
Mimolette is a hard, cows milk cheese from the northern region of France, iconic for its bold orange colour and spherical shape. As it matures – vielle means aged – the flavour becomes more complex, perfumed and nutty. The natural rind becomes dusty and covered in little craters from cheese mites that are actually encouraged to assist in the development of the rind (normally cheese mites are unwelcome on the surface of cheeses). Annatto (a natural food dye) is used to give the cheese its orange colour which, with its pock-marked rind, makes it resembled a rockmelon.
Mimolette is one of the few cheeses that the French enjoy as an aperitif, rather than after a meal.
Goes well with: light reds such as Pinot Noir or perhaps something sparkly.
Fromager des Clarines 250g - Stage 8 Dole > Lausanne
Fromager des Clarines is a soft surface ripened, washed rind cheese made in the mountains of the Franche Comte region. The silky-smooth texture is attributed to a long curing process and the rich milk of the region, whilst the washing of the rind adds an aromatic flavour. As the cheese ripens, the smooth orange rind starts to ripple and bulge and the inside softens to a rich flowing texture that oozes from the centre of the cheese. Once eaten, it is never forgotten
Goes well with: Splash the cheese with some dry white wine, insert a few small cloves of garlic, add a sprig of thyme and pop it iin a hot oven for 15 minutes. Serve with baguette, cornichons, cured meats and more wine. It pairs well with white wines of the Jura, Chardonnay or Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc), the region's premier white wine.
Firstkönig 100g - Stage 9 Aigle, Switzerland > Châtel les Portes du Soleil
Firstkönig is a semi-hard Swiss mountain cheese - the literal translation is 'First King' which is an apt description for this great cheese. Named after the Churfirsten mountain range that dominates the region. A mountain cheese (or “Bergkäse”), it is made with whole unpasteurised milk and smeared in a light brine as it matures, giving the rind an amber colour and assisting in the development of its flavour. Firstkönig has a dense, creamy texture with a herbaceous flavour and a delicately spicy finish.
Goes well with: Grab a crusty baguette and pile it high with thick-cut ham, a little mustard if it takes your fancy and a generous amount of cheese topped with a few cornichons. Midnight snacks never looked so good!
Bret's Fromage du Jura Chips - Stage 14 - St Etienne - Mende
Bret's Fromage du Jura Chips are made in Central Brittany (or Breton en français). The 100% family owned company partner with 285 local potato farmers in Brittany and the Auvergne to grow particular varieties of potatoes that are suitable for the creating the perfect chip.
More importantly, how do they taste? They have a sturdy texture rippled with small ridges. The flavour is full-bodied, with plenty of rich cheese notes and fruity/earthy accents. This is snack food at its finest.
Onetik Ossau Iraty 100g - Stage 18 - Lourdes > Hautacam
Onetik Ossau Iraty is a smooth, semi-hard cheese displaying distinctly nutty flavours and lingering caramel sweetness. Its earthy, aromatic rind is typical of ewe’s milk cheeses made in the Pyrénées. The floral aftertaste brings to mind pastures of wildflowers and grass.
Goes well with: Enjoy with a glass of Pinot Noir or a dry Rosé. Traditionally, this Basque country cheese is eaten along with the ancestral black cherry jam made in the village of Itxassou, which is why you'll find a little jar of Confiture de Cerises Noires - Black Cherry Jam, included with your selection.
Brillat Savarin 200g - Stage 21 - Finale > Paris Champs-Élysées
Brillat Savarin is a delicate, fluffy white mould and one of France’s classic triple crème cheeses. Made from cows milk and added crème fraiche, it is luscious, creamy and buttery with a slightly sour note. As it matures, the rind blooms and becomes spicy, and the texture is like a rich, buttery mousse.
Goes well with: Celebrate the final stages with Brillat-Savarin and Andrè Clouet 'Grande Réserve' Champagne – you’ve worked hard, you deserve it!
Heads up - all the action starts Friday 1st July. You can follow along with the route here and don't forget to tag us in the photos of your Le Tour de France late night snacks #harperandblohm #toursnacks
