Description
KEY FACTS
Style: Soft, washed-rind, Reblochon-style
Milk: Pasteurised Savoyard cow’s milk
Origin: Haute-Savoie, French Alps
Producer: Fromagerie de la Tournette
Maturation: Minimum 2 weeks
Rennet: Animal rennet
Allergens: MILK
THE CHEESE
Fleur des Alpes originates at the heart of the Massif des Aravis, in the Thônes region of Haute-Savoie — one of the most celebrated cheesemaking areas in France, and home to some of the world’s finest Alpine dairy traditions. The milk comes from cows that graze on high mountain pastures through summer, feeding on wild herbs, flowers, and grasses. That diet comes through in the cheese — a delicate floral sweetness beneath the creaminess that gives Fleur des Alpes its distinctive character and its name.
Beneath the fine, pale rind, the paste is smooth, supple, and ivory-coloured — close-textured but yielding, with a silky richness that comes from full-fat Alpine milk. The flavour opens with milky, buttery notes, moves into toasted hazelnut and a gentle earthiness, and finishes with a soft, lingering warmth. It’s approachable without being simple. Mellow without being bland.
A NOTE ON REBLOCHON
Fleur des Alpes is the cheese many UK cheesemongers now stock in place of Reblochon, which cannot currently be imported into the UK due to restrictions on raw milk cheeses. It follows the same Savoyard tradition, uses the same style of washed-rind production, and delivers the same role on the board and in the kitchen. If you know Reblochon, you’ll feel immediately at home with this. If you don’t, you’re in for a treat.
ON THE CHEESEBOARD
Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before serving — this cheese needs time to come to temperature before it gives you its best. Serve with grapes, walnuts, and something slightly sweet — a spoonful of our Grasmere Red Onion Marmalade works beautifully against the gentle earthiness of the rind. For wine, reach for a white Savoie — a Jacquère or Roussette — or a crisp dry Riesling. A pale ale also works surprisingly well, letting the cheese do the talking.
IN THE KITCHEN
Fleur des Alpes was made to be melted. It is the classic cheese for a proper tartiflette — that magnificent Savoyard gratin of potatoes, lardons, onions, and cream, topped with the whole cheese and baked until bubbling. Beyond tartiflette, try it baked whole in an ovenproof dish at 200°C for 12–15 minutes, scored across the top and finished with a drizzle of honey and a sprig of thyme. It also makes an outstanding addition to fondue, adding a softer, creamier note alongside a harder melting cheese.
| Serve with | Pair with |
| Grapes — green or red | White Savoie — Jacquère or Roussette |
| Walnuts | Dry Alsace Riesling |
| Grasmere Red Onion Marmalade | Crisp pale ale |
| Cured ham or charcuterie | Light Pinot Noir |
| Peter’s Yard sourdough crackers | Sparkling Crémant de Savoie |
STORAGE
Keep refrigerated at 0–5°C. Once opened, wrap in cheese paper or cling film and consume within 3 days. Not suitable for freezing. Remove from the fridge at least one hour before serving.
