How or where do you buy decent English cheese in the EU now post-Brexit?

[PatellaBella789]

We are having guests at Easter and I fancy serving them some English cheese for a change. Whereabouts do you buy the good stuff nowadays post-Brexit?

I can already get a good Stilton and a reasonable cheddar, but I would love some really good Lancashire or Cheshire or Caerphilly for example.

I am based in Belgium but happy to drive to Northern France, Luxembourg or anywhere within a couple of hours for a really good selection of English cheeses. Thank you.

Edited to say that I know I have probably left it too late to order on-line and tbh with the postal services and customs and vat charges being what they are now, I'm reluctant to order on-line anyway!

Le Grand Frais, closest to you probably Lille, has a reasonable selection - Shropshire blue, some cheddars, don't remember seeing Lancashire but a lot more foreign cheeses than usual for France.

There's a great cheese shop on the rue esquermoise in Lille centre which has English cheese too, called Phillipe Olivier.

Wouldn't a big Delhaize or Albert heijn in Belgium have some too though??

That’s a brilliant recommendation, thank you very much indeed FestiveAuntFanny! We often visit Lille as it’s very accessible from where we are!

Delhaize has a good Stilton and ok cheddar but less good since Brexit imho. I will check out Albert Heijn thank you!

Second the recommendation for Grand Frais. Only place we could ever find halloumi in France (yes, I know that isn't an English cheese!).

Thank you Butwhatabouthesealions

Funny really as we often go to Belgium for what we see as English style supermarkets with stuff we can't get in France.

I agree that, compared with France, there’s a lot of UK or UK “style” food in Belgium, especially Brussels. There wasn’t when I first arrived but there is now. And of course there are many more Irish products on sale now post-Brexit.

It’s such a shame about English, Welsh and Scottish cheeses though as they are amazing products and they don’t seem to have much reach in to Europe, not where I travel to anyway. To be fair that was always the case before Brexit, but at least you could order direct from UK then without much hassle!

There's a pretty big English supermarket just outside Brussels, in a small town called Everberg. They used to have a cheese counter Pre-Brexit - but I'm not sure they do any more... They used to be affiliated to Waitrose, but they now mostly stock big brands and Irish own-brand stuff. But they should still have a pretty big selection of cheese I think. You could always give them a call? Home | Stonemanor

Thank you v much Amyboo. We visit Stonemanor from time to time and they have some nice things but I’m looking for something a bit more specialist.

My local Monoprix sells Wykes Farm extra mature cheddar, and their own brand cheddar isn’t too bad, either.

I live in Belgium too and haven't found anywhere other than Delhaize /Stonemanor to get English cheese (at vastly inflated prices!) I still buy cheese when I visit the UK (yes I am aware of the rules about importing post Brexit .... but ...)

Lidl have mature cheddars in during their British week and around Easter and Christmas. Twill do in a pinch, I normally buy it all up and freeze it. Outside of a Stilton or a plasticky cheddar I've never found decent English/ Irish cheeses in the speciality cheese shops.

We are further away, but our local Billa sells a variety of Wykes cheddar. Billa is Rewe in Germany, so if you head that way at all I Suggest looking in Rewe.

Also, this is a few years back, but Edeka in Germany used to sell Marmite!

Thank you very much for all of these replies.

I don't think the UK Cheese marketing board, or whatever it is called, is doing a very good job is it? I wonder why they aren't making a better job of exporting some truly spectacularly good UK cheeses?

If you think about it in reverse, you go to any UK supermarket and there is a huge choice of dairy products from all over Europe. I know the French are generally more conservative in their choices than the Brits but it is such a wasted opportunity. And apart from all of that, I want to buy some for my own consumption over on this side of the channel!

Completely agree @PatellaBella789, don't understand it at all!! Brexit is an excuse now I don't doubt but I've been on the mainland for 20 years and apart from Cathedral Cheddar it's always been rare to find British cheeses

Kazerij Stalenhoef in Utrecht often has Lancashire fruitcake cheese and Stinking Bishop, but may be a bit too far! I would expect there to be British cheese available in specialist stores in Den Haag too. Jumbo sometimes has Black Bomber and port Stilton. Kelly's Expat Stores have a reasonable selection of Irish cheddars, but the choice isn't great.