Good Morning Cheesy1’s,

This week hails the launch of a new premium tier from Waitrose called Waitrose 1. Designed to be the very best Waitrose can offer this really is the creme de la creme from the Brand. Why are we talking about it on here? Well they are getting cheeses from Artisan producers that you may not have heard of and consolidating them into your local Waitrose cheese aisle/ counter. The official launch is scheduled for April/May but the press have already been talking about the new premium range such as this Telegraph article. The official stance from Waitrose is that it is driving the convenience of locating this range with a strong & bold look and it will contain unique flavours & combinations to surprise, delight and create experiences for customers. Their press release gives you a taste of things to come

” Introducing Waitrose 1

The launch will initially include over 500 products which will increase to over 800 products with seasonal additions throughout the year, making it the supermarket’s biggest own brand launch since essential Waitrose in 2009.

Whilst many popular dishes and products will remain, Waitrose will also be adding hundreds of new and improved products, from authentic wood fired hand-stretched pizza and artisan chilled breads, to supermarket firsts for meat, cheese and ice cream.

Here are some highlights from the range:

DELI-ICIOUS

Sloe Gin Cured British Ham with Blackberry and Damson Glaze £3.49/120g

The Waitrose 1 Sloe Gin Cured British Ham is made from outdoor bred pork and dry cured the traditional way for at least five days. The ham is infused with the rich, aromatic flavour of sloe gin from a craft distillery, then topped with a sweet and tart glaze made from juicy blackberries and damsons.

Puglian Figs and Buffalo Mozzarella 120g/£3.49

Soft, sweet semi-dried figs with delicate, creamy mozzarella in a basil-infused oil – a great accompaniment to a summer salad, or served with fresh tomato and drizzled with balsamic.

Peashoot Salad with Edible Flowers 60g/£1.50

This salad looks great on the plate; the sweet, buttery Red Butterhead lettuce mixed with citrussy sorrel, pea shoots, aromatic coriander and beautiful peppery viola flowers.

READY, STEADY, MEAL

Lasagne Rotolo £650g/£5.50

This modern day twist on lasagne sees free range egg pasta rolled around a rich beef ragu, a tomato sauce and topped with creamy bechamel, crunchy ciabatta crumbs and shavings of Pecorino cheese. The delicious ragu used in this hearty ready meal is slow cooked beef brisket, cooked for four hours until it’s ‘melt in the mouth’ tender.

Melt in the middle Meatballs with Cheddar and Mozzarella £5.99/540g

Four succulent British pork and herb meatballs hiding melting cheddar and mozzarella sauce inside. And if that wasn’t mouth-watering enough, they are topped with a rich tomato sauce, slow-roasted baby tomatoes and salsa verde.

Pea Smoked Ham Orzo Risotto £3.99/380g

This flavoursome dish combines a creamy orzo risotto with petit pois and a smooth pea veloute verde sauce, topped with shredded smoked ham hock, sundried baby plum tomatoes and pea shoots.

Slow Cooked Duck Leg Laksa £8.99/500g

Move over duck a l’orange- this slow cooked duck leg is about to steal the show. The slow cooked Gressingham duck legs are topped with a fragrant coconut, ginger and lemon grass sauce making this the perfect fusion of classic French cuisine and Thai flavours.

BREAD

Freshly baked bread first thing in the morning is one of life’s pleasures. With the new chilled artisan breads from Waitrose, shoppers can keep them chilled then bake at home for lovely fresh bread whenever they want it – breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Olive Fougasse £2.79/195g

This olive fougasse is one you won’t want to miss. Whole Italian, buttery Nocellara olives with their firm yet soft flesh and bright green appearance are baked into a traditional fougasse. The dough is slowly fermented and made from 00 and spelt flour – perfect for the sweet and mild, nutty flavour of the olives.

Roast Fennel and Parmesan Focaccia £2.79/275g

The Waitrose 1 hand crafted focaccia, made from slow-fermented dough with extra virgin olive oil is topped with smoky chargrilled fennel, caramelised red onion and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano.

PERFECT PIZZA

Made with slow rising dough, Waitrose’s new pizza bases, which will change seasonally are stretched by hand and cooked on lava stones in a brick-lined wood-fired oven. The intense heat cooks quickly and evenly, keeping in all the flavour of the dough and producing the thin, crisp crust you find in Italian pizzerias.

Wood Fired Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Pizza £4.79

This pizza is topped with Italian tomatoes and fresh basil sauce, pork and fennel sausage, mozzarella cheese, Tenderstem® broccoli, Italian ricotta cheese and red chilli.

MUST-HAVE MEAT

The new range of 30 Day Dry Aged Hereford Beef comes from farmers that Waitrose knows and trusts. Thanks to the dry-ageing method, the meat is consistently tender and rich in flavour.

30 Day Dry Aged Smoked Hereford Cote de Boeuf £29.99/kg

A supermarket first, this cut of meat is an absolute pleasure to eat – this cut is wrapped in muslin and dry aged on the bone for a minimum of 30 days.

TAKING THE BISCUIT

Beetroot Nigella and Three Seed Oat Biscuits £2.50/130g

These biscuits are baked at a low temperature to achieve an irresistibly crispy texture when cooled. They are especially good served with mild soft cheeses or creamy fish pâtés.

Chestnut and Celery Seed Wheat Biscuits £2.50/130g

The chestnut and celery seed wheat biscuits are crisp, buttery biscuits made by a family bakery in Dorset. These biscuits are especially good served with goats’ cheese, feta or halloumi.

Italian Biscotti Selection £3/150g

The new Italian biscotti biscuit selection includes crunchy almond cantuccini, chocolate cantuccini and amaretii – made by a family bakery in Italy.

CRACKERS FOR CHEESE

With over 150 cheeses already available in branches, cheese lovers know that Waitrose is the place to go for a wide variety of delicious cheese to create the perfect dinner party cheese board. Rest assured the new range which comprises of UK and supermarket firsts will not disappoint.

La Retorta Cheese 140g £6.49

To enjoy this extraordinary cheese, slice off the top rind and allow the cheese to rest until it reaches room temperature, then spoon out its creamy, almost liquid centre. This unique cheese is made using only the milk from the Finca Pascualette’s flock of merino sheep, salt and the natural ‘rennet’ in the blue flowers of the globe artichoke that grow nearby.

Duvel Belgian beer cheese £28.99 per kg

Waitrose will be the first supermarket to introduce Duvel Belgian Beer cheese. Belgium has a heritage of monastic beers and cheese and this recent addition is made by the renowned cheesemaker Michael van Tricht. Duvel beer, which has been made in Belgium for over 100 years. It is added to the vats as the cheese is made, giving it a distinctive hop character.

Le Crȇt Gruyère £24.99 per kg

Le Crȇt Gruyère is made in a village dairy 3,000ft above sea level in the Fribourgh regional of Switzerland. The cows which provide the milk graze on mountain pasture.

Cropwell Bishop Blue Stilton £18.99 per kg

The renowned Cropwell Bishop creamery has been owned and run by the Skailes family for three generations and they have created this special Stilton especially for Waitrose. The curds are hand-ladled to produce the creamy, buttery texture and the cheese is expertly matured for a deep, complex flavour.

Goats’ Milk Gouda 200g £4.49

The goats’ milk gouda is made by two brothers who rear all of their own goats, giving them full control over the quality of the milk they use in their cheese and believe us, it’s good. Unlike many goat cheeses, this Gouda is smooth and sweet, with a caramel aroma – it’s matured for a minimum of ten months, but it well worth the wait.

Coeur Du Berry Goat’s Cheese 170g £4.49

The heart-shaped young goat’s cheese has a soft grey blue edible rind and is made in the province of Berry in the heart of France- perfect for the ultimate cheese lover.

CAKE, CAKE, CAKE

Cherry Bakewell Mini Cakes £2.49/2s

A light frangipane topped with generous swirls of black cherry conserve and sprinkled with toasted almond flakes – everything you’d expect from a traditional Bakewell tart and more.

DELICIOUS DESSERTS

Chocolate Lava Tart £4.49

The pastry is blind baked for crispness and filled with delicious, squidgy chocolate brownie filling with rich and creamy chocolate sauce hidden in the middle.

Treacle Raspberry Tart £4.49

The pastry is blind baked for crispness and filled with a deliciously rich filling of brioche breadcrumbs, clotted cream, treacle and raspberries.

NEW ICE CREAM

Salted Vanilla Ice Cream Passion Fruit Sorbet £4.29/500ml

Salted Madagascan vanilla ice cream swirled with passion fruit sorbet and passion fruit sauce.

Stem Ginger Ice Cream Mango Lime Sorbet £4.29/500ml

Stem ginger ice cream swirled with Alphonso mango and lime sorbet.

Tanzanian Chocolate Ice Cream Blood Orange Sorbet £4.29/500ml

A fusion of smoky and tart flavours – the Tanzanian cocoa beans give their unique smoky character to the dark 75% chocolate ice cream.

THE BEST OF THE REST

Waitrose 1 Ultimate Chocolate Box £11.99 173g

The Waitrose 1 Ultimate Chocolate Box is the product for chocolate lovers; packed with 18 intense dark and creamy milk chocolates which are developed to stimulate the senses. The chocolates are made using a selection of ingredients such as Venezuelan and Colombian Cocoa, pink Himalayan sea salt, Italian bergamot oil, double roasted Arabica coffee and Indonesian coconut – it doesn’t get much better than that.”

As you can see the emphasis on good food is at the forefront and the Le Retorta cheese has already arrived in Branch, but I am yet to try this! (Although it sounds like it won’t last long once opened).

The cheese adventures this product launch looks set to bring is exciting for not only me but also for customers & cheese lovers across the UK. The hopes of bringing far-flung cheeses from small producers to your table is an exciting prospect for any cheese connoisseur. With the shelves slowly filling up with the new products & branding it won’t be long before it starts to take shape and the excitement is already starting to build.

All thats left now is for you to start your Waitrose 1 cheese adventure and you can tweet about your adventures using the #WaitroseCheesy1 (See what I did there) for us all to enjoy & share.

The WaitroseCheesy1