Cheese lovers are in for a treat later this month as I.J Mellis are throwing open the doors of their maturing room in Leith for the first time.
The event, which takes place on Sunday 25 August, is titled Fete du Mellis and will see the renowned cheesemonger welcome some of their suppliers to the maturing room to chat all things local and artisan produce with visiting customers.
Posting about the Fete du Mellis on Eventbrite, the team wrote: “Join us at our Maturing Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh for our first ever doors open event and celebration of all things artisan.
“Come and meet many of our suppliers who will happily educate you about their produce and allow you to taste a number of their unique products.
“One of our team will be on hand to provide a limited number of tours of our Maturing Rooms where we store and age our cheese.
“You will gain a unique insight into what it means to be an affineur, the history of a 30 year family owned and run business as well as some insider knowledge of Mellis Cheese's plans for the future.
“A number of local street food and drink suppliers will also be on hand for you to purchase refreshments. There will be a Mellis Cheese stall where you can purchase all cheese and other accompaniments on the day. Kids go free.”
Producers attending the event include: Jane Stewart, St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese; Ben Ticehurst, Pitchfork Cheddar Somerset; John Mellis, John Mellis Apiary & Honey; Roger Howison, Aipple Cider; Anja Baak, Great Glen Charcuterie and Janis Veidelis, Ride n Grind Coffee.
Kari Paul, purchaser at I.J Mellis said: ""Every year we host an event for our trade customers to allow them to meet our producers and sample new cheeses ahead of the autumn season.
"This year we decided that we should allow our loyal retail customers the same opportunity. Retail is our bread and butter, and our customers have supported us as a family business over the past 30 years, yet many of them don't know what we do or where we are based.
"This is an opportunity for a select few to see behind closed doors into our maturing rooms where we store and age our cheeses, meet some of our fantastic suppliers who will be offering samples and chatting all things cheese as well as enjoying some refreshments on offer from local food and drink suppliers.
"There will be limited tickets available to the public, but we are very excited to welcome our guests and show them just what it means to be an affineur".
Tickets cost £10 per person and Fete du Mellis runs from 12-3pm on Sunday 25 August. The tasting room is located at 78 Albion Road Edinburgh EH7 5QZ
Find out more and buy tickets on the Eventbrite website.
I.J Mellis opened their first shop in Edinburgh’s old town in 1993 and two years later opened their shop in Glasgow. Mellis cheeses are often found on the menus of some of Scotland’s top restaurants and, every Christmas, the queue of festive fromage buyers is always a long one.
