In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Cheese is a food which partners well with certain foods – crackers, fruit, chutneys leap to mind – and also, of course, with drinks. It’s always useful to hear from the experts and we have a great line-up for you. The Guardian’s acclaimed wine writer Fiona Beckett shares her thoughts on how to pair cheese with low alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. Emma Young, author of The Cheese Wheel, tells us how she sets about understanding and pairing cheese. Wine and food writer Marc Millon – shares his insights into the world of Italian wine and cheese and Svetalana Kurharchuk, aka The Cheese Lady, author of The Cheese Connoisseur’s Handbook, reveals some some excellent guiding principles.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - From cauliflower cheese to cheese straws, cheese is a much-loved ingredient in the British cookery. I talk to food writers across Britain about how they enjoy cooking with cheese, starting with the legendary Diana Henry, whose classic cookbook Roast Figs Sugar Snow has just been re-released in a beautiful new edition. Food writer Ross Clarke tells me about cheese in the Welsh kitchen – and yes, we do discuss Welsh rarebit! Scottish food writer Sue Lawrence, who came to fame when she won Masterchef in 1991, is infectiously enthusiastic on the joys of cheese scones.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com. Among the many pleasures which cheese offers, is the remarkable variety of textures one encounters. I explore the subject with award-winning cheesemaker David Jowett of Kingstone Dairy, James Rutter, Managing Director of Paxton and Whitfield and American cheese affineur Josh Windsor of Murray’s Cheese. Finally, Rupert Linton of Brindisa talks us through a cheese with a very particular texture indeed.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This week A Slice of Cheese explores the rise of vegan cheese. We talk to Rachel Steven’s, co-founder of La Fauxmagerie, Britain’s first specialist vegan cheesemonger and Mirko Parmigiani of Palace Culture tells us how he started making vegan cheeses. Vegan food writer Katy Beskow, author of Easy Vegan Christmas, shares ideas for how to cook with vegan cheese and Adam Williams of Tyne Chease, tells us the story of this pioneering Northumbrian vegan cheese company.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - When one looks at the world of artisan cheesemaking, it’s noticeable that many of the businesses are family ones. We talk to cheesemakers around the world about the pleasures – and pressures – of working in a family business, Jonny Crickmore, of Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk, Britain, Sarah Hennessy of Durrus Farmhouse Cheese in West Cork, Ireland, Chickie and Gaby Vella of Vella Cheese Company in Sonoma, California, USA and Mark Lee of Torpenhow Cheese Company in Cumbria, Britain all share their stories.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Good cheesemongers do a fantastic job. Not only do they offer a chance to buy a variety of cheeses in peak condition, they share the stories behind the cheeses as well. We talk to five cheesemongers in countries around the globe: Anthony Femia, founder of Maker and Monger, Melbourne, Australia, Jessica Fernandez of Mexican Mongers, Mexico City, Mexico, Gordon Edgar of the Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, California, USA, Julia Treloar of Cheese Boutique, Toronto, Canada and Chris Hallam of Chorlton Cheesemongers, Manchester, UK. What comes across loud and clear is their love of cheese and their enthusiasm for and commitment to their work.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This year the World Cheese Awards will take place in Trondheim, Norway, so a timely moment to look at the world of Scandinavian cheese. Food writer Signe Johansen, author of two appetising Scandilicious cookbooks, sets the scene for us. We talk to two notable Norwegian cheese makers whose cheeses have each won Supreme Champion at previous World Cheese Awards: Kristen Waagen of Tingvollost and Magnus Hafslund of Ostegarden, Finally Bernt Bucher Johanessen, of Hanen, a Norwegian trade organisation for rural farm produce, discusses the Norwegian cheese scene and why he wanted the World Cheese Awards to come to Norway.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This episode would celebrate the historic role of women in cheesemaking. On many British farms, it was women who sustained the family tradition of cheesemaking and passed it down the generations. We talk to Mary Quicke of Quicke’s Cheddar – a major and influential figure in the world of British cheese. Rose Grimond of Nettlebed Creamery tells us how she set up a cheese business to help save her family farm. We also meet the acclaimed American cheesemaker Veronica Pedraza of the Blakesville Creamery in Wisconsin, a woman-owned and operated farmstead creamery which offers a model of sustainable farmstead cheese. Cheese educator Katy Fenwick gives us an insight into the role of women in cheese past and present.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Cheese plays a very special part in French cuisine. Food writer Debora Robertson - noted for her humorous, witty writing as well as her delicious recipes - moved to France in 2021 and shares her insights into the French love of cheese. Legendary chef and restaurateur Bruce Poole of Chez Bruce tells us about he likes to use cheese and serve it at his Michelin-starred restaurant and Pierre Mairesse of Cheese Plus Fizz tells us which classic French cheese dishes go down well with his customers.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Making good cheese is not a simple thing to do. This week A Slice of Cheese explores the care and skill that goes into making artisan cheese. I get insights into what makes great cheese from talented cheesemaker Martin Gott, whose acclaimed St James cheese has a cult following, Adele Ravisio of CasArrigoni in Valtaleggio, maturers of traditional raw milk Taleggio, and cheesemonger Perry Wakeman of Rennet and Rind, winner of the Affineur of the Year Award in 2022.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This week on A Slice of Cheese we’re travelling around Britain talking to cheesemakers. Our journey begins on a Scottish island, where we talk to cheesemaker Chris Reade and hear the remarkable story of Isle of Mull Cheese. Next we head to Lancashire to talk to Graham Kirkham, dairy farmer and maker of the world’s only raw milk, farmhouse Lancashire cheese. In Wales Robert Savage-Onswedder tells us of Caws Teifi, the pioneering artisan cheese business his father set up. Finally, we head south to Cornwall to meet two cheesemakers: Giel Spierings of the Cornish Gouda Company and Philip Stansfield of the Cornish Cheese Company.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - How does one go about putting together a cheeseboard? Cheesemongers Andy Swinscoe of The Courtyard Dairy and Patricia Michelson of La Fromagerie share their expertise. I also talk to cheese blogger Tenaya Darlington – also known as Madame Fromage – tells me about her approach. Cheese and crackers are a classic combination. Clare Stiles of Peter’s Yard tells me why their sourdough crackers work so well with cheese.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - For this episode of A Slice of Cheese, I talk to key figures in the cheese world. Jason Hinds, Director of Neal’s Yard Dairy, about Randolph Hodgson, the founder of Neal’s Yard Dairy, a seminal figure in the world of British farmhouse cheese. Renowned Somerset cheesemaker Jamie Montgomery tells me about his famous Cheddar and I speak to Roland Barthelemy, President of the Guilde International des Fromagers and finally Cheese writer Ned Palmer unpicks cheese myths for us.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This week on A Slice of Cheese we explore the vocabulary of cheese – the words used within the cheesemaking world nd also the language we use to describe the cheese we eat. I talk to Hero Hirsh, Head of Retail at Paxton and Whitfield, Charlie Turnbull, a founding director of the Academy of Cheese, and cheese writer Patrick McGuigan, author of The Philosophy of Cheese.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This week on A Slice of Cheese we explore the microbial ‘starter cultures’ which play a key part in cheesemaking. As their names suggests they are used at the start of the cheesemaking process. Bronwen Percival, cheese buyer for Neal’s Yard Dairy and co-author of Reinventing the Wheel, shares her insights into their role. Giles Barber of Barber’s Cheddar Cheese tells the story of his family’s role in preserving Britain’s traditional cheese starter cultures.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - A look at how cheese is shaped by the place in which it is made. Rupert Linton of Brindisa takes us on a journey to Spain, Alison Elliott of the Ham and Cheese Company shares insights on Italy’s cheese landscape and Andy Swinscoe of the Courtyard Dairy talks about cheese and place in Britain, a subject close to his heart.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com. There is an innovative energy to Britain’s cheese scene. This week on A Slice of Cheese I talk to cheesemaker Julianna Sedli of The Old Dairy who’s creating new cheeses using Jersey milk, cheese advocate Sam Wilkin about two exciting cheese and cider projects he’s involved in and to Edward Hancock, founder of Cheese Geek, the online cheese shop which caught the imagination of the Dragons Den investors.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - For centuries farms were the places where cheese was made, transforming precious, perishable milk into a food which could be stored and sold. We talk to British farmer and Cheshire cheesemaker Sarah Appleby of Hawkstone Abbey Farm and American farmer and cheesemaker Andy Hatch of the Uplands Cheese Company in Wisconsin about the rewards and challenges of farmhouse cheesemaking.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Cheese is such a fascinating food and there’s so much to learn about it! We talk to people who are on a mission to share cheese knowledge: Alison Swan-Parente of The School of Artisan Food, Ros Windsor of The Cheese Academy, Jeanine Egan of the Cheese School of San Francisco and cheese advocate Sam Wilkin.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - This week we delve behind the restaurant cheeseboard to gain some insights into the restaurant cheese network. Tom Badcock of Harvey & Brockless, the speciality food producer and distributor, shares tales of supplying cheese to the hospitality sector, chef Graham Garrett tells us how he cooks and serves cheese at his restaurant The West House in Biddenden, Kent and Rhuaridh Buchanan of Buchanan’s Cheesemonger discusses the world of affinage and how he matures cheese for top-end restaurants.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - A really important part of British cheese heritage is what are called its territorial cheeses, such as Lancashire or Cheshire. We talk to cheesemonger Andy Swinscoe of The Courtyard Dairy about this very British tradition and farmer and cheesemaker David Clarke of the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company tells me why he started making his acclaimed Sparkenhoe, an artisan Leicester cheese.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - The family of soft cheeses includes classics such as Brie, Camembert and soft goat’s cheeses. We talk to award-winning cheesemakers Stacey Hedges of Hampshire Cheese Company, famous for her Tunworth cheese, Kevin Blunt of Golden Cross Cheese and to Victoria Stewart-Liberty of Mons Cheese about the glories of France’s soft cheese scene.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - There is a long tradition of adding flavours to cheese by adding herbs, spices or smoking them. Cheesemakers Catherine Mead of Lynher Dairies, talks about the use of nettle leaves as a wrapping for Yarg and how the leaves affect the flavour of the cheese. Dan Bliss, Cheese Buyer for Paxton and Whitfield, talks us through the addition of flavours – from truffles to more unusual flavours. Dutch affineur Betty Koster of La Fromagerie Amuse tells us of the history of adding spices to cheeses in the Netherlands.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Tiny organisms known as microbes - which are too small to be seen without a microscope - play a key part in cheesemaking. We delve into the fascinating world of microbes with Bronwen Percival, co-author of Reinventing the Wheel, and cheese affineur Josh Windsor of Murray’s Cheese, New York City.

In partnership with Peter’s Yard petersyard.com - Parmesan, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola – Italy is a land of wonderful cheeses, many of them known around the world. We explore the rich regionality of Italian cheese with Tuscan food writer Giulia Scarpeleggia. Philip Contini of Edinburgh food institution Valvona & Crolla shares his insights into the role Italian delis played in introducing Italian cheeses to the British public and Mario Ollanas tells us why he is making pecorino cheese in Yorkshire.