We visit ‘Clydesdale & Morrow’
Posted: 26 February '10 by Kelly
Clydesdale and Morrow
Niall and I recently visited Clydesdale & Morrow, Belfast’s only fromagerie. It wasn’t our first time there – we go there when we need a particular cheese for a recipe, or as a treat for ourselves – but this time we thought we’d tell you all about it.
When we first walked into the Lisburn Road shop we were greeted by one of the owners, Antoinette Morrow – and by the smell of all that cheese which is like a tangible, marvelous assault on your senses. The shop is small but packed to the rafters with lots and lots of goodies, far too much to take in at first glance. It’s a real foodie’s dream – you’ll find yourself spending some time just looking around the store, just as we did.
What we particularly liked was that they stock a good range of British and Irish cheese – although there are plenty of continental varieties too. All of this choice might make selecting your purchase difficult, but help is at hand – Antoinette and Anne are very passionate about their stock and clearly enjoy talking to their customers. You’re also encouraged to ‘try before you buy’ which is a great way of making sure you choose the perfect cheese. You’ll also find lots of different types of biscuits, crackers and chutneys, perfect for that after-dinner treat.
You can catch up with Antoinette at our wine tasting night on March 12th, but until then here is a taster of how and why she got in to the world of cheese…
- Kelly: Who are “Clydesdale & Morrow”? What are your backgrounds?
- Antoinette: Anne Clydesdale and I have worked together since 2001 when Antoinette joined BIC Systems, one of NI’s most successful indigenous IT companies, and where Anne was already working as one of the company’s directors.
- Kelly: How did you make the decision to open a specialist cheese store? What was your inspiration?
- Antoinette: We both shared a love of good food and wine and in late 2007 saw an opportunity to indulge in this passion on a commercial basis. Inspired by Sheridans in Galway where customers can combine their purchases with a glass of wine in the winebar above the shop, we initially thought to replicate this set-up. Unfortunately, licencing costs in Northern Ireland ruled out this option but, undeterred, Anne and I still saw an opening for a specialist cheese shop.
- Kelly: Your site mentions “artisan cheese” – what does that mean?
- Antoinette: As far as possible, we try to stock cheeses that are made in small, family run dairies where the provenance and quality of the milk is guaranteed. Sometimes, we have to opt for more commercial cheeses but we still endeavour at all times to stock high quality products.
- Kelly: You’re Belfast’s only fromagerie – did you see a niche in the market? Two years on, have you noticed a growing interest in food in the public?
- Antoinette: There are a few delicatessens in Belfast selling cheese, but we wanted to bring a new experience to customers. We pride ourselves on our knowledge of the cheeses we stock and encourage people to taste and experiment with difference cheeses in a relaxed atmosphere. We believe this is one of the reasons why our reputation has grown within and beyond Belfast.
- Kelly: How open are most people to new tastes?
- Antoinette: People love to experiment and, again, it is down to the unpretentious and relaxed nature of our customer service.
- Kelly: Is there much knowledge about the selection and serving of cheese out there?
- Antoinette: For the most part, people know the rule of thumb in terms of selection for a cheeseboard – a hard, a soft and a blue. We just help customers be a bit more adventurous. However, there are no hard and fast rules – good quality cheese that the customer enjoys is more important than sticking to specific rules.
- Kelly: Where and how do you source your cheese from?
- Antoinette: I would love to say that we travel around Europe choosing cheeses from artisan cheesemakers but, unfortunately, we would not make any money at all! We depend on a few trusted suppliers in Ireland and the UK to provide us with quality cheese and other artisan foods.
- Kelly: Your site mentions “wedding cheese cakes” – what are they? Have you been commissioned to make many?
- Antoinette: This is an offering which has met with great success and we regularly recieve commissions. A cheese wedding cake is definitely a talking point. We consult and advise the couple on what cheeses would suit within their remit and budget – some cheeses are more suitable than others. We suggest appropriate decoration and accompaniments and deliver to the venue.
- Kelly: What are your favourite cheeses?
- Antoinette: Wow – that’s a difficult one. I adore blue cheese and, to be honest, a really good Stilton – Colston Bassett or Stichelton for instance – is hard to beat. However, I also love flavourful mild cheeses like Ossau Iraty, a Basque sheep’s milk cheese. Or, Ardrahan, a fantastic Irish washed rind cheese. Or….I could go on!
- Kelly: Which accompaniments would you choose to go with them?
- Antoinette: We have a fabulous range of crackers, from the locally made Ditty’s Oatcakes to crackers with Fig or Fennel – all of which are great with cheese. We also stock fantastic chutneys from small producers in Ireland and England.
- Kelly: Are there any tips you could give about creating the perfect cheeseboard?
- Antoinette: A cheeseboard can be an informal and sociable ending to a dinner party with everyone hacking away at a selection of perhaps three large pieces of cheese. Or it can be more elegant with small portions laid out on each guest’s plate – again three to four pieces. The cheese should be chosen to represent a balanced range of cheese types, levels of flavour and milk types (goat, cow, sheep).
- Kelly: To your mind what are the greatest difficulties and joys in owning a business and a specialist cheese shop in particular?
- Antoinette: Probably the greatest difficulty for us in the past year or so was starting a business in the middle of a recession. We are so grateful to our customers for supporting us during this time and for spreading the word about what we do. The most enjoyable part of the business is talking to and establishing relationships with customers, tasting cheese, introducing new cheeses, tasting more cheese…!
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3
What we think
Clydesdale & Morrow is great – just the sort of store that Belfast needs, and the sort of friendly and interested store-owners we need too!
It’s quickly become one of our favourite places.
Other information
You can find Clydesdale & Morrow at:
Clydesdale & Morrow
581 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7GS
T: 028 9066 2790
E: enjoy@clydesdaleandmorrow.com
W: www.clydesdaleandmorrow.com
You can alsofind Clydesdale & Morrow on Google Maps.
Chilli and Chocolate members:
Anne and Antoinette have been kind enough to give our members an in-store discount. Visit the Members’ Section for more details
Categories: Local Food Heroes > Northern Ireland > United Kingdom
