A good cheese selection is an integral part of Christmas dinner in France. To help you create the perfect platter The Connexion spoke to two award-winning cheesemongers from the south of France.
The key to a successful cheese platter is to have an open discussion with your cheesemonger about your needs and expectations, says Thomas Jimenez who owns La Fromagerie Palavasienne with his wife Charlotte in Palavas-les-Flots, Hérault.
“Don't hesitate to tell them what the occasion is, who you are hosting, your ideas, and constraints”, he says.
The couple recently won Best Independent Business Occitanie 2024, in a competition organised by French independent business website Petitscommerces.fr.
More than 1,000 shopkeepers applied to enter the competition, with winners selected based on their history, the products they sell, customer experience, economic development and ethical practices.
In selecting the best cheeses for festive occasions Mr Jimenez said: “We still remember one lady who came into the shop for Christmas and said ‘I'm not going to order from you because I can't afford it.”
Thomas and Charlotte Jimenez
“I told her: for €20 we can offer you a small decorated platter. There won't be any truffles, but you're in for a treat. Since then, she has been a regular customer.”
“At La Fromagerie Palavasienne, we love it when our customers challenge us with an idea or a desire they might have for their cheese platter, especially for Christmas.
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“We've already done blind platters where the customer had to guess which cheese they were tasting, from cheeses produced less than 100km away, cheese bouquets etc,” he said.
“In general, the Christmas ‘Plateau de Fromage’ is what we call an ‘end of meal’ platter, made up of pieces of tomme or small pieces, and we make sure there is a selection of the three milks: cow, goat and ewe - as well as different textures.
Thomas and Charlotte Jimenez
“For a budget of between €20 and €30 for four people we recommend mild cantal, Saint Marcelin, farmhouse goat's cheese and Roquefort.
“For a platter of between €40 and €60, Beaufort, Mère Richard Saint Marcelin, Camembert with homemade truffles and a slice of truffle (created by the Palavas cheese dairy), Tomme de Chèvre and Roquefort.
“Today's cheeses can be paired with champagne, tea or beer, but we've decided to stay classic and local by offering two options.
“For the first, we would serve the platters with a white wine, ‘Justine’ or ‘Claire de Lene’ from the Moulin de Lène in the Côte de Thongue appellation and for a more sophisticated platter, a red Mas Haut Buis Carlines from the Terrasses du Larzac.”
As well as running the family cheese shop the Jimenez also have a food truck travelling across the region with their products.
To see a list of winners from the Petitscommerce competition click here.
