Cheese, please.....

[Mudhen]

Can anyone tell us if there is still a proper (?) cheese cart in the QM2's Princess Grill, as opposed to cold slabs on a pre prepared plate?

[RJChatsworth]

Yes when in PG last October.  Hope it doesn’t change!

[Bell Boy]

1 hour ago, Mudhen said:

Can anyone tell us if there is still a proper (?) cheese cart in the QM2's Princess Grill, as opposed to cold slabs on a pre prepared plate?

Yes of course, and including Britannia Club . 

[Lakesregion]

Years ago (pre QM2 all the restaurants used the cheese cart and one could pick and choose. The plate is really pretty harsh in comparison.

[david,Mississauga]

44 minutes ago, kohl1957 said:

...  Now that I am home, I anticipate being able to see my belt buckle in oh about a month....

 

 

 

 

 

Just a month? Lucky you; it usually takes me two months after a voyage in the Grills.

 

I hope they had Stilton on the trolley, at least some of the time.  On one crossing in PG there was no Stilton for the first few nights. I pointed out, with a smile of course, that there was a large wheel of Stilton in the buffet and suggested I could walk over there and get some. The next night there was Stilton in PG.

[WestonOne]

As a bit of a cheesoholic,  I am interested in  hearing about the variety of cheeses available in Queen's Grill.   For example, I expect a good restaurant not just to offer stilton, but to be able to say which stilton: Is it Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Colston Bassett or other?  And will QG offer a range of blue cheese? Shropshire blue, perhaps?  Cashel?  The same applies to, say, cheddar.  Which supplier is it from?

Has anyone any comments of the cheeses on offer?

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by WestonOne

[exlondoner]

There were seven cheeses on the cheeseboard the other evening, so it was hardly world shattering. Having said that, a couple were ones I hadn’t heard of and now can’t remember, but were interesting. I wouldn’t expect too much of it.

[Victoria2]

45 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

As a bit of a cheesoholic,  I am interested in  hearing about the variety of cheeses available in Queen's Grill.   For example, I expect a good restaurant not just to offer stilton, but to be able to say which stilton: Is it Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Colston Bassett or other?  And will QG offer a range of blue cheese? Shropshire blue, perhaps?  Cashel?  The same applies to, say, cheddar.  Which supplier is it from?

Has anyone any comments of the cheeses on offer?

 

Golly. Picky or what!😄

I like cheese and have it in preference to a pud [apart from Crepes Suzette]  but can't call myself a cheesaholic to the extent of wanting to know the provenance of each cheese as it would not affect my choice.

 Cambozola,  Stilton, Roquefort are the usual blues and there are occasional additions eg Saint Agur, Gorgonzola etc but as to the Stilton dairy and the cow, I've never asked. 🙂

 

As to the Cheddar, I rarely ask for it as it's usually underwhelming.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Victoria2
cheddar

[BigMac1953]

Don't get too excited! Often it changes, and sometimes they don't bring out any Stilton. My favourite, Epoises, was withdrawn. Our waiter kept the very last round for me a few years ago.

 

In my experience they usually offer 6 or 7 to choose from.

 

Don't forget a bottle of port to wash it down.

[WestonOne]

49 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Golly. Picky or what!😄

Perhaps!   Still, if your wine list has a choice of many different merlots, malbecs and pinot noirs, .... 

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

Don't get too excited! Often it changes, and sometimes they don't bring out any Stilton. My favourite, Epoises, was withdrawn. Our waiter kept the very last round for me a few years ago.

 

In my experience they usually offer 6 or 7 to choose from.

 

Don't forget a bottle of port to wash it down.

True, but a runner will often go and do some foraging for you if it's not on the cart. 🙂

 

One thing I'd warn any cheesaholic  about the cheese cart though is the [very] occasional condition of the  soft ripened cheeses as they can be offered when too firm. A little flat blade knife pressure will soon see if it's ready, for my tastes at any rate.

 

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, WestonOne said:

Perhaps!   Still, if your wine list has a choice of many different merlots, malbecs and pinot noirs, .... 

I think wanting to know the name of a specific dairy Stilton on the  cheese cart came from can hardly be compared to knowing specific wineries but as I said, ask. I'm sure if the server doesn't know, the Head Waiter will try and find out for you.

[majortom10]

6 hours ago, WestonOne said:

As a bit of a cheesoholic,  I am interested in  hearing about the variety of cheeses available in Queen's Grill.   For example, I expect a good restaurant not just to offer stilton, but to be able to say which stilton: Is it Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Colston Bassett or other?  And will QG offer a range of blue cheese? Shropshire blue, perhaps?  Cashel?  The same applies to, say, cheddar.  Which supplier is it from?

Has anyone any comments of the cheeses on offer?

 

I think you are going to be very disappointed.

[ClipperinSFO]

As of last December, there were still cheese carts in both QG and PG, and for (even semi-)serious cheese lovers they are underwhelming.   Never seen Epoisses (alas!), although they did once have a Delice de Bourgogne that was really good.  The current cheese cart(s) will do though, esp the some of the English cheeses like Stilton and cheddar.

[LadyL1]

This year in QG we did have Epoises and chaumes one evening, but had asked for some very ripe cheese.

For our taste the cheese board is quite tame; brie, camabert, cheddar, Emmental and stilton are basic fayre. Last month my husband tried something that was “sticky toffee pudding” cheese and pronounced it dreadful!

Good Stilton comes from very few farms in Leicestershire, and unfortunately the cheddars from the small specialist farms in Somerset are just not available. Sad as they are truly delicious. The best cheese on the ship (QE) is Isle of Wight blue! On the room menu there is a supplement to pay for this, but has been available in The Verandah.

[D&N]

We'll have a fortnights rest from cheese. Our favourite is Comté and we're unlikely to come across any that compares with the quality or choice in the local hypermarket.

[WestonOne]

Thanks for everyone's comments.   They do help me 'set my expectations', which it seems need to be at the level of a fairly ordinary restaurant rather than anything special.   A shame, but I will not necessarily be disappointed just because it could be better; it simply means I look at the alternatives to the cheese more seriously than I would otherwise have done.

Let me go back to the analogy with wine lists.  I have never been in a restaurant where they offer several varieties of Stilton - the costs and shelf-life would make that prohibitive. However, I have often come across a cheese shop - especially online - that does, and I see no reason at all that a person should not pay the same level of attention to the provenance of a cheese than any other food or drink.

In a restaurant, though, that does not arise.  So why do I want to know?

Let's imagine I am offered a Keen's Cheddar or a nondescript Stilton.  I will choose the cheddar.  Conversely,   if I am offered what my mother-in-law called mousetrap, or a good Stilton, I would choose the Stilton.   And if both are nondescript, I might choose to have something other than cheese.  The knowledge of the provenance affects the decision, just as it would with wine.

[exlondoner]

As Stilton is only produced in six dairies with strict rules, I don't think any of them would be nondescript. I wonder how many people could tell them apart. I suspect the most significant factor would be how they are kept on board.

[Host Hattie]

It's not an either or situation, just have both ! At least the first time, then you will know which you prefer.

[Victoria2]

If taste. maturity or  whatever is the issue, why bother a server to ask the provenance of any particular cheese, an answer which might not immediately be to hand. Just ask the server for a sliver to taste. I often do that with the soft cheese. Like it? Have it. Don't like it? Move on.

[WestonOne]

I have a policy of limiting my comments on most social media to avoid pointless arguments, but I did not expect to have to apply it here.  I have never, and would never, put any pressure on wait staff over such a question.  There are ways of asking that do not put any pressure on them, and if I was at all uncertain whether any difficulty would arise I would not raise the matter.   But somehow my simple question about whether people knew what cheeses would be on board seems to have started what we used to call 'a flame war'!

As I said in my last post, thank you to everyone who has answered the question.  I will stop here.

[Victoria2]

No flame wars here. Any contributor who goes into such detail about a potential issue which concerns them, eg in this case, an explanation why the provenance of a cheese on a ship's cheese trolley is important, like it or not is bound to elicit a number of  answers. 

Your expectations will be set at the lower level and anything higher will be a bonus. If the lower end is met, I can recommend the Crepes Suzettes. 🙂

 

[ClipperinSFO]

@WestonOneI think it is perfectly reasonable to expect a high(er) level of attention and detail paid to the sourcing of cheeses in the QG cheese trolley.  Cunard goes on and on about the superlative dining experience in QG, and a thoughtful sourcing of cheese, and training of the staff accordingly does not seem at all out of proportion with the expectations they set.  That also said, with the market they aim to attract would also come with an elevated tastes/interest/knowledge of cheese.  Not everyone perhaps, but enough well traveled/well dined people to make it noticeable and worthwhile for them to reinforce the brand (hence this thread).

 

Is the QG cheese cart ok? Yes, it fits the bill.  Other than its appearance, does it meet the expectations set or the superlative image dining experience that Cunard is going for in QG , no.