CIDER AND CHEESE: A VERY BRITISH LOVE STORY

Wine and cheese.

It's one of those pairings we've all collectively agreed makes sense.

There are entire evenings dedicated to it. Books about it. Courses on it. People who can explain precisely which Burgundy you should drink with your Époisses.

But sitting quietly in the corner is another drink that happens to be exceptionally good with cheese.

Cider.

And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

Why does cider work with cheese?

A good drinks pairing is often about balance.

Cheese brings fat, salt, richness and sometimes some pretty powerful flavours.

Cider can bring acidity, fruit, sweetness, tannin and carbonation.

That acidity can cut through the richness of cheese, while the natural fruit character creates combinations that can be both complementary and contrasting.

Think about how well apple already works with cheese on a cheeseboard.

Now make the apple cold, sparkling and alcoholic.

You can probably see where we're going with this.

Cheddar

Let's begin with the obvious one.

A mature Cheddar has richness, saltiness and a big savoury flavour, making a crisp cider a natural companion.

The cider refreshes your palate between bites rather than adding more weight.

There's something satisfyingly British about the whole combination too.

Good Cheddar. British cider.

No unnecessary ceremony required.

Brie and other soft cheeses

Creamy cheeses such as Brie and Camembert benefit from something that can cut through all that richness.

A bright, sparkling cider provides acidity and bubbles that help reset your palate.

Fruitier ciders can be particularly interesting here, creating a sweet-and-savoury contrast against the creamy cheese.

Blue cheese

This is where things get interesting.

Blue cheeses can be salty, rich and seriously powerful. Pairing them with something equally aggressive can turn your mouth into a battleground.

A cider with some fruit and sweetness can provide contrast instead.

The combination of salty blue cheese and apple character works for much the same reason that chutney or fruit often appears alongside blue cheese on a cheeseboard.

Opposites attract.

Goat's cheese

Goat's cheese often has a fresh, tangy character, so it works well with ciders that have plenty of freshness and acidity of their own.

Rather than one overwhelming the other, you've got two bright flavours working alongside each other.

Add a sunny afternoon and some decent bread and you've basically sorted lunch.

But don't get too hung up on the rules

Pairing guides are useful.

They're also suggestions.

Taste is subjective and half the fun is discovering combinations you weren't expecting to work.

Get a few different cheeses. Get the cider properly cold. Invite some people round and try them together.

That's a tasting event.

Or dinner.

Depends how organised you want to sound.

Red Fin is made from 100% fresh pressed apples from Somerset, creating the kind of crisp, refreshing cider that feels very comfortable next to a cheeseboard.

Just remember the most important pairing rule:

If you like the cheese and you like the cider, you're already doing pretty well.