The cheeses that I love: Lucie Nock

Lucie Nock, owner of The Cheese Society, grew up around cheese. “My mum owned a delicatessen before specialising in cheese and opening The Cheese Society when I was just 12. From a young age, I was encouraged to try new and unusual cheeses, and it quickly became a big — and very enjoyable — part of my upbringing.”

She joined The Cheese Society 10 years ago, and she says her favourite part of the job is still “cutting into a new truckle and tasting the fresh flavours inside”. Between the cheese counter and online shop, The Cheese Society stocks around 100 cheeses at any one time. “It feels like a real privilege to work in such a skilled, hands-on, and fascinating industry,” Lucie says.

“The cheese world is a wonderful one to be part of. From cheesemakers to retailers and suppliers, the people are generous with their knowledge, always happy to share advice, and genuinely supportive,” she continues. “It’s an incredible community. As a Lincoln-based business, we’re incredibly lucky to have some outstanding cheesemakers right on our doorstep, and we champion them at every opportunity.”

These are 10 of her all-time favourites.

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO

As a cheesemonger I feel it’s essential to mention Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, the godfather of all cheeses. I’ve loved Parmigiano Reggiano PDO for as long as I can remember, as a child I used to eat shards of it on its own and adored the caramelly, rich salty flavours. My favourite is 18-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and it’s a cheese that sells itself. There’s not a lot to really add here, it’s a cheese everyone knows, a cheese most people love and one that shows incredible history. I have some exciting content in the works with the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO brand ambassador, Gennaro Contaldo, which I’m excited to be sharing soon!

Lincolnshire Poacher

We love Tim and the team at Poacher and have the privilege to visit their amazing farm whenever we can. Lincolnshire cheeses are our best-sellers by far, being a Lincoln-based cheese shop. The complexity, depth of flavour and texture of poacher is what gives it so much character. With flavours of toasted walnuts and that reassuring, rich herbaceous flavour that lingers on the back of the tongue with each bite. We are proud to have such an incredible local cheese. 

Snowdrop, Cote Hill Dairy

Another knockout local cheese from Mary and Michael Davenport at Cote Hill. This cheese ticks all my cheese boxes, fresh, light, lactic. Similar in style to a St Marcellin, this little beauty pairs beautifully with apricot jam. Again, another dairy we are proud to call local, the Davenports have been making incredible cheeses in the Lincolnshire Wolds for over 30 years. Delicate, mild, delicious, velvety and mould-ripened.

Gorywydd Caerphilly, The Trethowan Brothers

This has always been top of my cheese list. With its silvery silky rind, soft as a rabbit’s ear to the creamy texture that develops around the rind, then the crumbly unctuous middle, this is a phenomenal cheese that we will always have in the counter. The flavours are like mushrooms cooked in butter, earthy and moorish. A raw milk, naturally rinded Caerphilly cheese, originally made by brothers and business partners Todd & Maugan Trethowan on their farm near Llanddewi Brefi in the Teifi Valley, but now made by Maugan and his wife Kim Trethowan in Somerset.

Swaledale Traditional, The Swaledale Cheese Company

A cheese we’ve stocked for a long while now and has firmly become a team favourite. Another lactic, open-textured, crumbly cheeses. Fresh lemony buttery flavours flood the mouth while the texture has bundles of moisture for a cheese of this style. Truely unique and a cheese we love introducing to our customers. Made by a father son team Richard and Ned in the rich Swaledale meadows and pastures of Yorkshire. An extra-matured, naturally rinded cheese that should be a staple on all cheeseboards far and wide. 

Skegness Blue, Hartington Creamery

This blue cheese is pure velvet, once you start cutting into its sublime texture you just can’t stop. We stock a French thyme honey which is just incredible drizzled over this wonderful blue. The flavours are mellow, smooth and inviting, the cheese is characterised by a striped pressed rind. Made at the Hartington Dairy in the Peak District who makes wonderful blues, this one really stands out in flavour and texture, a real crowd-pleaser.

Isle of Mull Cheddar, Isle of Mull Cheese

I had the pleasure of visiting the Isle of Mull dairy a few years ago and it was like stepping into a dream, with their rustic glass house cafe, nestled in rolling hills, cows out to pasture and the sea on the horizon. This Cheddar has all the character you need in a good cheese. Subtle salty flavours from the coastal grazing, the team also feed the cows the wisky mulch from the local distillery which adds a smoky tang to the Cheddar. Made using sustainable methods in a very special setting, I can’t recommend this Cheddar enough. 

Ticklemore, Sharpham Cheese

Again, I visited the Sharpham Dairy last year and enjoyed a wonderful tour from Greg Parsons, the owner. Seeing rows and rows of these perfect handmade cheeses makes you really appreciate the trade. The work and the hours that go into cheesemaking is something that should be commended. Ticklemore is a distinctive goat’s cheese, made in a geometric shape with a decorative rind. It develops a smooth soft texture against the rind that blends into the crumbly centre. The flavour is clean and fresh, with subtle citrus notes and a delicate nuttiness that develops more complexity as it matures. Unlike some stronger goat’s cheeses, Ticklemore has a refined, balanced character that makes it approachable even for those who don’t usually choose goat cheese.

Baron Bigod, Fen Farm Dairy

I feel this is a cheese high on a lot of people’s lists and for good reason. An exquisite British soft cheese with those distinctive, classic brie-like flavours of cabbage and mushrooms. We sell huge amounts of this wonderful award-winning cheese and it has rapidly overtaken brie in popularity both in sales online and in our Lincoln based shop. Made at the Fen Farm Dairy in Bungay in Suffolk, this exceptional cheese has a smooth, silky golden paste will often ooze out over a delicate, fresh and citrussy centre. You will find long-lasting flavours of warm earth, farmyard and mushrooms, with occasional notes of citrus and truffle.

Eggleston, The Welbeck Estate

This is a new cheese to our online and shop counter, it’s made relatively locally at the Welbeck Estate, also home to cheesemaking legend Joe Schnider of Stichelton. This is an individual, apricot coloured, soft little cow’s milk cheese. The texture is velvety and smooth and the flavours are fresh, floral and creamy. A delicious springtime cheese that looks gorgeous on a cheeseboard. Quietly distinctive and full of regional character, Eggleston is a traditional-style cheese is firm yet creamy, a cheese that embodies careful, small-scale production. Its pale, natural appearance gives little away at first glance, but the texture reveals a gentle balance between crumble and creaminess. It cuts cleanly while still yielding softly on the palate, suggesting both freshness and thoughtful maturation.