England has been on my mind a lot lately. Friends from England have been visiting the states for just over a month, which I have written about previously. These are the same friends I spent New Years Eve one year in the English countryside where I had my first introduction to English cheeses.

When Seaside Cheese of West Cape May posted about their world tour of cheeses, I had to say yes Bplease. Stephen White takes customers to a different destination via his shop on Park Boulevard and samples the country’s most popular cheeses.

England has a rich cheese making history. English cheese is known for its slow aged, intense flavors made from traditional recipes handed down through the generations.

We started the night with a cream of celery soup topped with Blue Stilton cheese for added rich flavor. What a combination.

Each participant was then treated to a sampling of six cheeses from various regions in Great Britain. Starting with Barber’s cheddar, family made since 1833, Colliers cheddar made in Denbighshire, Wales was a strong and powerful flavored cheese. Five Counties cheese, a layer caked blend of Gloucester, Red Leicester, Chesire, Derby and Somerset cheddar all in one cheese was the third selection. Harlech was a creamy blend with horseradish and parsley. Cotswald cheddar made from cow’s milk made in Gloustershire County, England.

A dessert cheese called Sticky Toffee was a new flavor from England. It was rich and dense with flavors of golden syrup and dates mixed with warm spices. This cheese would be perfect with tea and cream or on raisin bread for breakfast.

All of this surrounded a cheddar and chive scone, and some double Devon cream and jam.

The entire evening brought back vivid memories of our trip to England and stay at a country Inn in Devonshire. After each meal of many courses, the chef would finish by rolling out a cart of cheeses from throughout Europe. Seaside Cheese rekindled that memory and thankfully provides some of those same cheeses.

Seaside Cheese at 110 Park Boulevard in West Cape May, holds regular events throughout the year. The shop is a destination in and of itself.