The Big Cheese — Restaurant in England

Porlock is sadly a place which should thrive on tourism but which has severely suffered for many a reason. However, this place as a rare remaining cheesemonger was the only pull to Porlock!

We travelled to the area for reasons other than cheese. However, as a minority of individuals who still seek local cheeses and ales wherever they travel in Britain this destination was high on my list. Here is an establishment advertising as a "cheesemonger" offering such a variety of delectable mouth-watering cheeses on their website of which are not found in the all encompassing supermarkets. So, after much research imagine my surprise at this establishment offering for sale the amazing and uncommonly found Pendragon semi hard buffalo cheese! Such a rarity and a cheese worth travelling for. Not only that, separate and in addition to Pendragon, they sell a blue cheese in a beautiful orange and white cheese jar!

As a cheese connoisseur who has researched an establishment who promote themselves as a cheesemonger (a rarity in modern Britain) and who offer the specific delicacy one seeks, imagine my absolute disappointment to discover that this is not at all a cheesemonger. Instead, this is a cafe selling a few blue cheeses (none in jars) and at best a few basic cheddars. Instead, my much lusted after and sought Pendragon quest is met with "I have not sold that for quite some time" and my blue cheese in a jar is "only sold for Christmas gifts", requests albeit very politely refuted.

This is a cafe and small gift shop selling chutneys, coffee, and delicious looking cakes. Whilst I wish them well as an establishment, especially in these extreme economic climate difficulties, and the proprietor was nothing but polite, this is not a cheesemonger at all! This is the only reason we visited Porlock and we left extremely disappointed as our quest for Pendragon particularly, and blue cheese in a pretty orange and cream jar (both as advertised) was unfulfilled and my excitement on anticipation of obtaining one of the very few, if but one and only, UK semi hard buffalo cheeses (Pendragon) was completely beyond squashed. Beaten I was and with no second prize cheese pleasure to be had.

Seriously, irrespective of the trade act advertising being sorely unfulfilled and a completed hoax of a mockery, this is not a cheesemonger in the slightest.

I wish the proprietor all the best in establishing a brilliant trade as a cafe but don't dress it up as a cheesemonger which offers little cheese and fails the trade act in even selling many of the cheeses they advertise on their website. People do actually still travel for cheese and get excited over the delicacy of cheese!!!

Please update your website! Sorely...

Went to Porlock on a whim to escape the house on 30 December hoping to find somewhere for a coffee and found this place open (this was the only non-pub). We ordered a cream tea each (in December!) and it was completely delicious! The scone was still warm and the cream was very good. The flavour of the Whortleberry jam was amazing. My partner said the coffee was very good. It was a nice light place to sit and hear the wind whistle. Their range of cheese was very good (my partner's mum had struggled to get Cornish Yarg before Christmas but this shop had some) and their chutneys and jam range was fantastic (we came away with 2 chutneys!) The gentleman serving was very good, nothing too much trouble - left us alone while we ate but just as happy to chat afterwards. With just 3 tables I think you would struggle to get in in the busy months but would thoroughly...

I went to get some cheese for Christmas during the late opening in December. I was served by a very nice, young lady called Daisy. She was very helpful, professional and out of her own initiative wrote all the cheese names on the packaging which is particularly useful when you buy a few! Very positive...