Clubs are, generally, great fun. You get to hang out with your mates and bond over something you all love. In this case, the object of your mutual affection is cheese. Yes, smelly, gooey, melty, tasty cheese.
A semi-regular event, this Cheese Club is held at Oxford Street's home of cheese, wine and hip hop: Big Poppa's. Running from 6.30–8.30pm on Sunday, February 16, the first club meetup for 2020 will see you pairing three different French cheeses with three different French bubbles from one of the world's oldest champagne houses, Ruinart.
You'll start the night with a triple-cream brillat savarin from Normandy, served with spiced apricot and toasted breadcrumb, paired with a Ruinart blanc de blanc: a light delicate champagne made from 100 percent chardonnay grapes. Next up is a brie de meaux — a soft cow's milk cheese, served here with roasted pear, pecans and honey — and a rosé champagne. Then, you'll finish with a cendré de champagne, a smoky brie-like cheese with an ashen rind, and a Ruinart NV.
Big Poppa's resident cheese nerd (and Restaurant Manager) Minna Hanson and Ruinart's National Ambassador Dan O'Riley will be on hand to chat you through the nitty gritty of each dish and drink, and tickets will set you back $75. That might sound a little steep, but these cheese and champagnes aren't cheap — with all bottles nudging $100 (retail).
Images: Kitti Gould