Last night five of us went to Gallagher’s Cheese Night. What a great way to spend a Sunday evening after having eaten the chicken with harissa sauce.

The pub was busier than it had been on Friday evening although there were a few familiar faces. The Oracle was finished so instead we went for The Hawkshead Brewery Windermere Pale. This was a blonde pale ale perfect for supping on a Sunday evening with work the following day at 3.5%. So we sat at a table, some of clutching our blocks of cheese, not really sure what was happening. There was a table laid out with crackers and chutney but no sign of any cheese. It didn’t matter too much as we had our pints to sip and there was chat to be had. We put the cheese on the table and waited for events.

Eventually Frank Gallagher came over and tapped us on the shoulder and suggested we take our cheese to the kitchen. The kitchen was a small room beyond the barbers and there there were two ladies laying out great platters of cheese. They asked me what we had brought. There was some Manchego from Kevin so that was easy but my cheese was not so straight forward. Shortly before Christmas Steve had given me four great lumps of Swiss cheese. If he had told me what they were I had forgotten. We have been eating through them slowly and they are all very nice. I had taken a hunk of one with me for the evening but all I could say when asked “What cheese it is?” was “I have no idea but I know that its Swiss.” So it was labelled Ralph’s Swiss Cheese.

There twenty five cheese in all spread out on wooden platters and all labelled. They were placed on the table next to the crackers and chutney and we were invited to dive in. We were also to take note of what we were eating so marks could be given at the end of the evening.

There were goats cheeses, Red Leicester, various cheddars, Garstang Blue,a creamy crumbly Lancashire and various flavoured cheeses including one with horseradish which I was somewhat indifferent about. I gave as my winner the Lancashire but this was before I had one of the Cheddars which was my favourite. It was strong and salty.

John had kindly brought a jar of pickled eggs to share. These were placed in the middle of the table. I could only manage to look at them.

There were too many cheeses to try them all but what we did eat soaked up the Windermere Pale perfectly so there not too many nightmares. I will be back to Gallagher’s soon.

Back at home I was just in time to watch the last hour of The Bourne Ultimatum before bed!