Durham now has its own cheese. If you want to try it, head to Uxbridge—fast. Just for Savour the Season Urban Pantry chef Claudio Briones is serving a limited run of the first artisan cheese produced by Carpe Diem cheesemaker Julie Belli. This aged sheep’s milk cheese with it faint hint of blue veins can be found exclusively at Urban Pantry, but like autumn leaves it won’t last long.
“It arrived just in time for Savour Durham,” said Claudio. “There is a limited amount and it will be gone soon.” Barely a dozen little wax-covered mini-wheels sat in the dessert case when I visited and they were going fast. So if you want to try this delight, which Claudio describes as a cross between Feta, Parmesan and Stilton, you had better hurry.
I enjoyed it with blueberry chutney made with fruit from Twinkle Berry Farms and an herbed organic salad from Foggy River Farm and Urban Pantry’s own container gardens. The restaurant also grows its own tomatoes for the tomato tartar smoked with apple wood.
This sophisticated spot with its sleek black and white interior is fast becoming a local favourite in part because of owner Niki Pagidas’s emphasis on “hyper local” foods that not only taste great but support the community. Check out the beautiful display of birches and greenery near the entrance. It provides lavender, rosemary and other herbs.
While I was inspecting the outdoor flower arrangement that double as seasonings a tractor drove by. “Only in Uxbridge do you see the tractors alongside the Mercedes,” said Claudio.
Chef Claudio Briones from Urban Pantry in Uxbridge
Urban Pantry on-site garden
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