For those of you who remember the Homage2Fromage cheese cafe in the Merrion Centre, you’ll no doubt agree that its demise left a huge hole in the Yorkshire food scene.
Fortunately for cheese lovers across Yorkshire, a series of pop-ups will be aiming to fill this hole, each one focusing on different types of cheese.
We were lucky enough to be invited to the Fondue night at Mill Kitchen in Farsley last week. The pop-ups are being held at various locations, but Mill Kitchen had a really relaxing vibe to it (it was nice to be eating in the suburbs rather than the city centre for a change).
The starter, main, and dessert weighed in at just £25 per person, with the chance to book tables of up to eight people. This made it the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends, work colleagues, or any cheese lovers you may know!
Of course the main event was the cheese and Homage2Fromage haven’t let themselves down with regards to the cheesy offerings.
Despite the fact that the Fondue was the main course and therefore the main event, it’s arguable that the starters stole the show. As a visual spectacle, the starters were stunning, the charcoal cheese rarebits, Tete de Moine curls with balsamic glaze, and cubes of Osseau Iraty the highlights of a gorgeous selection. There was even a nod to Yorkshire produce with Harrogate Blue tartlettes.
After such a wonderful start to the meal, the main event of the Fondue continued to hit the spot. I managed to make a fool of myself by losing a chunk of bread on my very first dip, but the taste of the Fondue was beautiful, a nice strong white wine flavour bringing out the complexity of the Gruyere and Emmental.
The Fondue was thick enough to coat the bread without being gloopy, and the accompanying vegetables and cornichons provided a great textural difference.
There was the option to replenish the Fondue and the bread, but after such a generous initial portion, we wanted to leave room for what promised to be a tasty pudding.
Made by the Sunshine Bakery, the cheese-themed sweets were a delightful end to a lovely meal. Whilst it wasn’t to my taste, I’m assured the carrot cake was very good. The cream cheese brownie was excellent, but the mascarpone meringue was to die for.
On a final note, for those who fancy a nice glass of wine with your cheese, there was a wide selection of well-chosen wines available at the event at an additional cost.
Overall, the experience was fantastic. We’re hoping to see another permanent fixture for Homage2Fromage soon, but in the meantime pop down to one of their cheesy pop-ups in Leeds or Sheffield to get your fix!