Eating cheese before bedtime supposedly gives you nightmares.
But Louise Bagnall dreams of cheese – and her life-long friendship with all things fromage has led to a tasty new addition to Alton town centre.
Cheese fans would be crackers not to pay her FillUp refill shop a visit as she’s opened a fromagerie at the back of her High Street store.
Cheese Louise is a heavenly place as aficionados will find between 25 and 30 artisan varieties with something for every palate and taste.
Big blocks of Cheddar have been banished, with the counter providing a showcase for independent producers and the thriving British cheesemaking industry.
While the focus of Cheese Louise is all about fromage Anglais, Louise admittedly has to thank her parents and the French – who else – for her love of cheese.
She said: “When I was growing up family holidays were spent driving around France in the car.
“When we stopped we would buy cheese and a baguette and find a place to stop and eat it. So I ate quite a few different cheeses in my younger years, especially as my parents were really into cheese.
“I’ve always wanted my own business so the refill shop we’ve got here is the first part of that, but there was a bit of an epiphany moment.
“The more I delved into it I felt this is what I should be doing. I’m passionate about the products that are made here in the UK and I had this space that could be used.
“There’s also the stories you hear about the products and cheeses and I love telling them to customers.”
If there’s one shop name that 100 per cent reflects its owner, it’s Cheese Louise – and she’s even got the credentials to prove it.
Placed proudly by the counter is a certificate from the Mons Formation in France, proving she’s wise in the ways of cheese. She had to undertake plenty of training and research to get one of the industry’s most sought-after accolades.
She’s also impressed the producer of a cheese lover’s bible as Steve Parker added her shop’s details to his Cheesespotting: An enthusiast’s guide to British cheese compendium after visiting.
Louise doesn’t have a favourite cheese – she compares it to picking a favourite song – but she’s a big fan of Old Winchester and Stichelton, a raw milk traditional English blue cheese from Nottinghamshire.
She said: “I tend to stock around 25 to 30 different cheeses and plenty of varieties, so there’s hard and soft cheeses and some raw milk and pasteurised ones.
“In the last ten to 15 years there’s been a real insurgence in cheesemaking in the UK and it’s like the craft beer explosion. It’s a really exciting movement and it’s really exciting to be showcasing that.”
Future developments include making Christmas hampers and taking part in beer and cheese-pairing evenings at the Ten Tun Tap House on November 12 and December 17.
Find Cheese Louise on Facebook and Instagram at @cheeselouise_shop