The cheeses that I love: Simon Warren, East Street Deli

The East Street Deli, in the picturesque village of Wimborne, Dorset, has won several awards since opening in 2020 – and the cheese counter, packed with around 60 cheeses from the UK and abroad, has certainly played a part in its popularity.

Here, Simon Warren, who founded the deli with wife Claire, does his very best to pick his top 10 cheeses of all time.

Cornish Kern, Lynher Dairies

I’m often asked what my favourite cheese is and while I can never give one definitive answer (not too sure if that’s because there’s so many to choose from or I’d feel I’m being disloyal to all of the others if I chose just one!) this cheese is always in my top two or three. I love cheese with big depth of flavour and the Kern is full of it. Rich, nutty, slightly sweet and a little Comté-esque, I love the Kern with a few slices of apple. This is a truly delicious cheese and one that always finds its way onto my board.

Isle of Wight Blue, Isle of Wight Cheese Co.

Such a popular cheese, soft and creamy with rich blue notes.  We’ve sold this cheese from the day we opened and there’s barely been a day when we haven’t had it in stock. Our soft mild blues like Montagnolo are very popular, but this one really stands out on a cheeseboard. They make some great cheeses on the Isle of Wight and this is right up there with the best!

English Pecorino, White Lake Cheese

I love the fact that sheep’s and goats’ milk cheeses are becoming so popular. There’s no way that a list of my top 10 cheeses would be complete without at least one, so where better to look than White Lake Cheese in Somerset? We started selling the English Pecorino a couple of years ago and it was an instant hit with our staff and customers. The fresh, clean taste of the sheep’s milk along with the sweet and savoury flavour profile make this the sort of cheese you just keep going back to the fridge for. I could’ve chosen almost any of the White Lake range, but their English Pecorino is a real favourite.

Cranborne Blue, Book & Bucket Cheese Company

We love supporting local cheese makers and at The East Street Deli we’re lucky to have the brilliant Book & Bucket Cheese Company on our doorstep. Their Cranborne Blue has very gentle blue veining and a delicate flavour and is made with milk from Jersey cows that graze the fields just a few miles away. This blue is quite different from the more well-known Stilton cheeses and Blue Vinny but offers a different flavour profile and texture and, when it’s made so locally, it’s a must for our selection.

Heritage Teifi, Caws Teifi

This is a bit of a special one that we roll out for the special occasions: an extra mature Gouda-style cheese made by the incredible Caws Teifi in West Wales. The big, strong, rich, nutty and umami notes with the sweet butterscotch flavour profile combined with the almost Parmesan-like texture makes for a beautiful showstopper on your next cheeseboard. We love the Caws Teifi range of Gouda-style cheese and they’re always a winner in our counter.

Brebirousse d’Argental

With a real love of France and their amazing cheeses there’s no way that I could have a list of my top 10 without one of my all-time favourite fromages, Brebirousse d’Argental. The delicate fresh ewe’s milk with a buttery flavour and gooey texture make this one of our most popular cheeses. The distinctive orange rind often leads to our customers just pointing to it and asking for ‘the orange one’ due to its slightly tricky name to pronounce!

Stoney Cross, Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers

Another local one to us at The East Street Deli, made in the New Forest by Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers, this one is similar to a French Tomme. Relatively mild in flavour compared to some of the other selections but a beautifully balanced earthy, buttery and slightly sweet cheese. Stoney Cross is named after an old World War II airfield that is only 15 miles from our front door in Wimborne, Dorset. Yet another multi-award winner that we always have in our fridge, both in the deli and at home!

Golden Saye, Village Maid Cheese

A very recent addition to our range but from the first bite I new this was going to be my sort of cheese. We love Village Maid Cheese and I could’ve included several of theirs in this selection, especially their ewe’s milk Spenwood, but this Guernsey cow’s milk version is delicious. Golden Saye is matured for four months with a natural rind and has a lovely caramel sweetness and a slight tang to it. It’s an instant hit that we’re very quickly becoming addicted to!

Westcombe Cheddar, Westcombe Dairy

We couldn’t have a board without a classic Cheddar, could we? Westcombe is a firm favourite with us and is full of flavour and character. You can almost taste the terroir of the Somerset hills from where it is made. The long, lingering earthy notes along with the delicious fresh unpasteurised milk make a Cheddar that stands out from the rest. 

Baron Bigod, Fen Farm Dairy

Saving the best until last? Quite possibly. The Baron is one of our top-selling cheeses and a winner all year round. If you’re looking for a British brie to rival the French Brie-de-Meaux then look no further. Fen Farm Dairy really have mastered the art with this multi-award winner. Made with grass-fed Montbéliarde cow’s milk and packed full of earthy, mushroomy flavour that combines so perfectly with that oozy, gooey texture. By god, I love this one!