Mathew Carver, known for championing the best of British cheese, has upped the ante with Pick & Cheese, the world’s first cheese conveyer belt. This recently launched at the UK’s Seven Dials Market, the team behind street food organizer KERB.
With Pick & Cheese, each store customer receives a unique cheese experience, as plate after plate of small producer cheese winds around the restaurant atop a more than 130-foot-long electronic belt. Diners can follow Carver’s suggested tasting flights or simply help themselves to that day’s cheese selection as it passes their table.
According to Carver, “We wanted to showcase British cheese at its best, while giving our customers the opportunity to hand-pick their cheese from our house list.”
Up to 38 cheese-lovers at a time can choose from Pick & Cheese’s over 25 different cheeses, along with a selection of British charcuterie from Tottenham’s Blackhand Food. The cheese, all sourced from UK-based farms and urban cheesemakers, is paired with an individual, chef-driven condiment—from Coolea with Hazelnut Brittle to fresh Ricotta with Sherry Cherries; and handmade ceramic plates are color-coded to reflect different prices. Cheese aficionados can pile up the plates as they wish, but for guests unsure of where to start, Carver has created tasting flights designed to guide visitors through the best of the blues or from mild to wild.
A list of natural wines from Les Caves de Pyrene is specifically selected to pair with the cheeses. And for those who prefer their cheese melted, diners can also order from a handful of off-belt hot dishes, such as grilled cheese.
World Cheese Awards judge Carver founded The Cheese Truck in 2014. Along with his converted 1970s ice cream van, Archie, he set out on a mission to celebrate and promote the best of British cheese. In 2017, Carver opened his flagship restaurant, The Cheese Bar, in the historic Grade 2 listed Camden Stables Market. The restaurant’s menu champions a new breed of cheesemakers through its inventive, cheese-focused small plates and sharing dishes. Some are making cheese in a traditional and thoughtful way, whilst others are pushing the boundaries of cheesemaking.
When visiting the heart of London’s West End, be sure to pay a visit to Pick & Cheese, one of 26 independent food and drink businesses located at the area’s Seven Dials Market.
