The Artisan Cheese Room

Overview

Conveniently sitting on the corner of Wentworth and East Esplanade, just steps from Manly's Ferry Wharf, is the Artisan Cheese Room. Occupying a small corner shop, this delightful room is created for cheesemongers, by cheesemongers. Owners Joanna and Paul Thompson opened up the carefully curated cheese haven after successful careers elsewhere — although a career in cheese with your significant other feels like a whole different level of success.

Inside you can browse over 50 cheeses sourced from across the world, as well as from just a few hours' drive away. Also available are accessories like blue-and-white crockery and handmade knives, all with a sharp focus around cheese. The shop also offers cheese celebration cakes, boards, hampers and gift boxes all prepared upon request.

If you're now hankering for a cheese plate, then you might be interested in the store's Cheese Club which provides four cheeses each month along with biscuits and tasting notes (for all you cheese newcomers out there). March's featured cheeses included the Holy Goat La Luna, sourced from the rural plains just a few hours north of Melbourne, as well as  L'Amuse gouda, a cheese made in northern Holland's UNESCO World Heritage Site of Beemster, which then aged for two years in Amsterdam.

Cheese lovers can choose between four options — or one ($90), three ($260), six ($530) or 12 months ($1000) of cheese. Sign up online, or pop into the cheese shop — and taste a few seasonal favourites while you're there.