Maybe these guys are right—cheese needs its own democracy. With the numerous categories, diverse manufacturing, textures and origin countries, it can get overwhelming. Which is what three-man Cheeselads wants to change. Yet, neither Alfred Low, with a Central Saint Martins design degree in hand, nor ex-bankers Chloe Lee and Leonard Teng had ever imagined themselves to be in the F&B business, certainly not in the middle of a circuit breaker.
Nonetheless, the pandemic-induced hiring freeze provided the perfect opportunity to bring a table talk idea to fruition. Simply put, the beautiful platters are but a cheat code for the uninitiated. The intimidated and confused at the shop who end up leaving empty-handed because they do not quite know what they are looking for; especially the local non-cheese eaters who have funky blue come to mind when thinking of artisanal cheese.
“Before we started this business, Chloe didn’t really love cheese as much as she does now,” the trio reveals how getting her to try all the artisanal cheeses that they were thinking of bringing in for the business was what opened her to the magical world of cheese. “So Chloe is actually a testing ground for some new cheeses that we are planning to put inside our platters. If she can accept and enjoy it, it means that most people who are new to cheese will most likely enjoy it too.”
With the variety personally tried and tasted by the team, you can expect an easily delightful array. Low is drawn towards English cheeses such as the blue Stilton and cheddar, while Teng prefers hard cheeses minimally aged a year or two like an extra old gouda. Lee now loves Swiss mountain cheeses like the Gruyere and Appenzeller, but names the cave-aged buttery Kaltbach cheese as a favourite.
“And of course, our collective favourite cheese has got to be our very own truffle brie that we make in-house ourselves,” they share. This alongside Cheeselads’s signature jam that’s made from scratch in small batches and crafted to match anything from brie and hard cheese to cold cuts and crackers. They’ve also ventured into other house-made accompaniments including soft, chewy nougats, smoky hummus and water crackers.
While switching up cheese selections periodically, there’s no leaving out the occasional request for blue cheese when requested. Currently, platters are served in four portions—from a single pax to up to eight, or complemented with charcuterie. Honestly, whether you need this springboard or not, it’s an ode to the delicacy for all to relish. “We believe that there is no right or wrong way to eat cheese, just ways you have tried and ways you haven’t.”
Platters and more can be ordered from Cheeselads online.
