WELCOME TO THE CHEeSE AGENT
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Artisan and local cheeses for West Berkshire and North Hampshire
Based in Newbury UK
Based in Newbury UK
Hi, I'm Tony and I sell cheeses at local village markets in West Berkshire and North Hampshire.
With the closure of all the independent delis in Newbury and Hungerford there's still a place to get artisan and local cheeses, either by visiting the markets or contacting me on-line.
With the closure of all the independent delis in Newbury and Hungerford there's still a place to get artisan and local cheeses, either by visiting the markets or contacting me on-line.
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UPDATE 13/05/20:
Newbury Lockdown Cheese Club FULL / Producer News:
I now have over 40 members for the cheese club, so will have to close memberships until I know I can supply everyone who has signed up. Next week I'll be doing the first deliveries to the Woolton Hiill/Highclere group and Central Newbury group.
I have a waiting list for other customers who have expressed an interest and if anyone drops out or if I can expand they will take priority to join.
I'm sorry but I cannot fulfill one-off orders at present as I have a variable supply chain and no storage.
What is the Cheese Club?
In the absence of markets, I launched the "Newbury Cheese Club", where I will supply 4 cheeses (generally a blue, brie, cheddar and guest) every fortnight to those who sign up. The cost is £12 per delivery and you get 500-600g of cheese each time. There will be a mixture of true artisan and more general cheeses, but all from smaller dairies and products you don't always get in the supermarkets. I delivery directly to your house, with payment by bank transfer after each delivery. I have a Facebook Group for club members or can email members with information about each delivery.
I will run this whilst interest lasts and until lockdown ends and probably beyond since I doubt many of the local village markets I do will re-open until well into the summer. At the moment this is only running in Newbury and nearby villages, e.g. Woolton Hill, Highclere, Hamstead Marshall.
UPDATE 18/03/20:
Understandably all local markets have been cancelled for the foreseeable future and I do not intend, at present, to offer a home delivery service until I see whether I can get stock reliably.
Look out for further posts and keep safe. Tony
UPDATE 12/02/20:
NEW Location: Starting on Tuesday 18th Feb I shall be running a weekly stall at Mrs B's Kitchen in Newbury as a trial for the next two months into April.
They have a space at their cafe on Faraday Road, Newbury for stalls and Tuesday is Food day. I shall be there from 10am to 3pm (or possibly beyond).
You can find out more at https://www.mrsb.kitchen/copy-of-our-services or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MrsBKitchen/
AND: Following positive feedback after the first regular SustainHUBle market at Wash Common, this event will now run until 3:30pm rather than finish at 2pm. Again this is a trial run to see how busy we are at this later time, which now covers the Falkland School run.
Markets for 2020 resumed on Saturday 25th at Woolton Hill.
The full year schedule can now be found on the Event Calendar page. New additional - Newbury Rugby Club stalls for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.
UPDATE 27/11/19:
The Cheese Agent has now entered the 21st Century and can now accept card payments at most events!
I'm a little restricted by the strength of phone signal at some locations and also we have only one card reader and occasionally (especially at Christmas) running two events simultaneously, so it won't be at 100% of events.
UPDATE 28/10/19:
Christmas is looming and the event list has been updated to cover all the Christmas events I'll be at.
During November I'll be taking Christmas orders, with the option of picking up orders a markets or opt for the home delivery service. I'll also be finalising a few collection points that have proved so convenient over the past few years.
Many cheeses sell out at Christmas, so early ordering can be essential. If you're after Barkham Blue, Colston Bassett Stilton or the Christmas Pudding shaped cheddar the soon I know the better.
Newbury Lockdown Cheese Club FULL / Producer News:
I now have over 40 members for the cheese club, so will have to close memberships until I know I can supply everyone who has signed up. Next week I'll be doing the first deliveries to the Woolton Hiill/Highclere group and Central Newbury group.
I have a waiting list for other customers who have expressed an interest and if anyone drops out or if I can expand they will take priority to join.
I'm sorry but I cannot fulfill one-off orders at present as I have a variable supply chain and no storage.
What is the Cheese Club?
In the absence of markets, I launched the "Newbury Cheese Club", where I will supply 4 cheeses (generally a blue, brie, cheddar and guest) every fortnight to those who sign up. The cost is £12 per delivery and you get 500-600g of cheese each time. There will be a mixture of true artisan and more general cheeses, but all from smaller dairies and products you don't always get in the supermarkets. I delivery directly to your house, with payment by bank transfer after each delivery. I have a Facebook Group for club members or can email members with information about each delivery.
I will run this whilst interest lasts and until lockdown ends and probably beyond since I doubt many of the local village markets I do will re-open until well into the summer. At the moment this is only running in Newbury and nearby villages, e.g. Woolton Hill, Highclere, Hamstead Marshall.
UPDATE 18/03/20:
Understandably all local markets have been cancelled for the foreseeable future and I do not intend, at present, to offer a home delivery service until I see whether I can get stock reliably.
Look out for further posts and keep safe. Tony
UPDATE 12/02/20:
NEW Location: Starting on Tuesday 18th Feb I shall be running a weekly stall at Mrs B's Kitchen in Newbury as a trial for the next two months into April.
They have a space at their cafe on Faraday Road, Newbury for stalls and Tuesday is Food day. I shall be there from 10am to 3pm (or possibly beyond).
You can find out more at https://www.mrsb.kitchen/copy-of-our-services or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MrsBKitchen/
AND: Following positive feedback after the first regular SustainHUBle market at Wash Common, this event will now run until 3:30pm rather than finish at 2pm. Again this is a trial run to see how busy we are at this later time, which now covers the Falkland School run.
Markets for 2020 resumed on Saturday 25th at Woolton Hill.
The full year schedule can now be found on the Event Calendar page. New additional - Newbury Rugby Club stalls for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.
UPDATE 27/11/19:
The Cheese Agent has now entered the 21st Century and can now accept card payments at most events!
I'm a little restricted by the strength of phone signal at some locations and also we have only one card reader and occasionally (especially at Christmas) running two events simultaneously, so it won't be at 100% of events.
UPDATE 28/10/19:
Christmas is looming and the event list has been updated to cover all the Christmas events I'll be at.
During November I'll be taking Christmas orders, with the option of picking up orders a markets or opt for the home delivery service. I'll also be finalising a few collection points that have proved so convenient over the past few years.
Many cheeses sell out at Christmas, so early ordering can be essential. If you're after Barkham Blue, Colston Bassett Stilton or the Christmas Pudding shaped cheddar the soon I know the better.
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NEW CHEESES - update 28/09/18:
I am delighted to announce that I will be stocking a selection of excellent goat's cheeses from Beau Farm, Bramley in Hampshire.
Beau Farm is located on a private estate in Bramley, Hampshire, just north of Basingstoke, where Margaretha is producing a fine selection of goats cheeses.
There’s a Gouda based on a recipe of her Dutch grandmother’s, a soft goat’s Brie and a lactic soft cheese with a dusting of ash.
Also available are flavoured Gouda’s - with cumin, fenugreek, garlic and herbs and lavender (yes that's right, lavender).
I'll have a selection of these cheeses at markets in October, starting at Woolton Hill on Saturday 29th Sept. Please come along and taste!
Find out more at: https://beaufarm.co.uk/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BeauFarmGoats/
See some photos below of the cheese and Margaretha (on the right) and Sedef, the cheesemakers
NEW CHEESES - update 28/09/18:
I am delighted to announce that I will be stocking a selection of excellent goat's cheeses from Beau Farm, Bramley in Hampshire.
Beau Farm is located on a private estate in Bramley, Hampshire, just north of Basingstoke, where Margaretha is producing a fine selection of goats cheeses.
There’s a Gouda based on a recipe of her Dutch grandmother’s, a soft goat’s Brie and a lactic soft cheese with a dusting of ash.
Also available are flavoured Gouda’s - with cumin, fenugreek, garlic and herbs and lavender (yes that's right, lavender).
I'll have a selection of these cheeses at markets in October, starting at Woolton Hill on Saturday 29th Sept. Please come along and taste!
Find out more at: https://beaufarm.co.uk/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BeauFarmGoats/
See some photos below of the cheese and Margaretha (on the right) and Sedef, the cheesemakers
UPDATE 17/07/17:
Searching for new cheeses:
A few weeks ago I received an email from Artisan Diary in Wincanton saying they were having to stop production of their cheeses due to a family illness. It's a reminder that many small dairies are just that - a few family members and employees working together - and even a small disruption can have a huge impact. So many market favourites - Old Tower cheddar, Lynchwood, Woolbury blue and the wonderful "Unnamed" sheeps Gouda are no longer available.
The cheese list has been updated to reflect that these cheeses are no longer available. I hope to add new ones before Christmas.
So I am now starting the search for new dairies to fill the gap. At the moment north Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds look this most likely locations with several cheese producers in the area, so hopefully new cheeses will be appearing for tasting and customer approval in the near future.
Searching for new cheeses:
A few weeks ago I received an email from Artisan Diary in Wincanton saying they were having to stop production of their cheeses due to a family illness. It's a reminder that many small dairies are just that - a few family members and employees working together - and even a small disruption can have a huge impact. So many market favourites - Old Tower cheddar, Lynchwood, Woolbury blue and the wonderful "Unnamed" sheeps Gouda are no longer available.
The cheese list has been updated to reflect that these cheeses are no longer available. I hope to add new ones before Christmas.
So I am now starting the search for new dairies to fill the gap. At the moment north Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds look this most likely locations with several cheese producers in the area, so hopefully new cheeses will be appearing for tasting and customer approval in the near future.
New Cheeses for Autumn 2016:
Left to right:
Norton & Yarrow Cheese, Oxfordshire
Sinodun Hill - a ripened goats’ cheese pyramid, matured for up to 21 days. A flavoursome cheese with a light nutty edge and a smooth texture. Bronze medal winner at 2016 British cheese awards
Brightwell Barrow - a fresh unpasteurised goat cheese, it has a light, mousse-like, creamy texture and fresh, citrus flavour. Gold medal winner at 2016 British cheese awards
Nettlebed Creamery, Oxfordshire
Bix - a soft, unpasteurised, triple cream cheese
Saint Bartholomew - a semi-hard, unpasteurised organic cheese made to an alpine recipe. It has a deep, nutty flavour with fruity, caramel overtones and a smooth texture. The cheese is matured for 5-6 months.
Left to right:
Norton & Yarrow Cheese, Oxfordshire
Sinodun Hill - a ripened goats’ cheese pyramid, matured for up to 21 days. A flavoursome cheese with a light nutty edge and a smooth texture. Bronze medal winner at 2016 British cheese awards
Brightwell Barrow - a fresh unpasteurised goat cheese, it has a light, mousse-like, creamy texture and fresh, citrus flavour. Gold medal winner at 2016 British cheese awards
Nettlebed Creamery, Oxfordshire
Bix - a soft, unpasteurised, triple cream cheese
Saint Bartholomew - a semi-hard, unpasteurised organic cheese made to an alpine recipe. It has a deep, nutty flavour with fruity, caramel overtones and a smooth texture. The cheese is matured for 5-6 months.
