Rachel M.
Yelp
Not so long ago, in my student days, I made ends meet working on the deli counter at Sainsbury's. Actually, it was much longer ago than I care to count, but sometimes it's nice to pretend that you are kind-of still young.
And so, upon entering the excellent establishment that is The Bath Fine Cheese Shop, I thought that I would be able to hold my own when discussing the cheeses that had to offer with the counter staff.
Boy was I mistaken. These guys REEEALY know their stuff.
The lovely gent behind the counter, who when he realised he was dealing with a true cheese fan, proceeded to tell me that the shop receives CV's from hopeful applicants that have been filled with cheese-jokes and detailing their bountiful cheese knowledge. That is just how respected this place is!
Upon walking into the relatively tiny shop, you are presented with an array of hundreds of cheeses. So staggering is the sight, that you might think you have walked off Walcott street and straight into cheese-narnia.
There are also shelves of bits and bibs to accompany the cheese, all of extremely high quality.
To the right of the shop, attached to it, there is a quant little cafe, the perfect place to sate your appetite after staring hungrily at the wall of cheese for a while.
The reason I found myself a considerable distance from the cheese shops of Bristol, was because I was hunting down the perfect cheeses to make up mine (and hubby's) perfect cheese wedding cake. Our caterers, Topline Catering, order their cheeses though the Bath Fine Cheese Co, and suggested that we visit to make our all-important decisions.
Incidentally, The Bath Fine Cheese Shop do their own cheese wedding cakes as a bespoke service, and offer their clients a private sit-down tasting session to help them make their decisions.
However, as we were ordering our cheese through our caterers, they were unable to offer us this service. However, they DID give is absolutley brilliant service in the shop, and were excellent at sending us information and reccomendations via email to help us.
Hubby and I decided that the best approach to take was to hold several cheese tasting sessions at home with our groomsmen, who as fellow cheese lovers were significant stakeholders in the affair. The best man still maintains that the cheese tastings were the best part of the wedding planning, and that these sessions were his most valuable contribution to the day. He also and recalls that the the total destruction of the cheese cake on the wedding night was hands down the best part, and I have to say I sort-of agree!
And so, I visited the Bath Fine Cheese Shop a total of three times, each time carefully selecting a different array of cheeses to take home and sample.
The counter staff, who were different people every time I visited, were always incredibly helpful. They spent a long time discussing with me the cheeses that would compliment, and the subtle differences between the cheeses on offer. They allowed me to sample a wide range to help me decide. They were always keen to make their own reccomendations, and I am glad they did, because most of the recommendations came up trumps.
Wonderful service. You always got the distinct impression that these guys love their jobs, and really believe in the shop itself, which is a really nice feeling - and a reason for me to keep supporting their business.
When we finally decided what would make up the perfect cheese wedding cake, it was like Einstein must have felt when he discovered the theory of relativity. A perfect peace of work. However, it came with the sadness that I didn't have an immediate reason to go back for another trip.
Happily, I have been back to the cheese shop since. In fact, only last month did the Bath Fine Cheese Shop hold a free cheese tasking festival in milsoms place. Bringing together all of their local suppliers, allowing the public to taste and buy.
I brought a foodie friend along with me, and we went away with wide (cheesy) grins, full bellies, and handbags full of cheese.
So great was the thought if the cheese in our handbags during that afternoons shopping trip, that we had to stop in a pub garden to crack open the cheese over a glass of red.
So, in short, if you like cheese - you really gotta give this place a go!