Oct 22, 2026 | Brindisa Marketing
Cheese is where the Brindisa story began, and helping people discover the cheeses we love is as rewarding today as it was then.
Our first-ever Spanish Cheese Week, from 2–8 November, brings together delis, shops and restaurants to celebrate the diversity of Spanish cheese and the skill and dedication of Spain’s cheesemakers. Through tastings, featured cheeseboards and pairing ideas, it’s a chance to get to know a little more about your favourites and taste something new.
With Christmas approaching, it’s also a good time to start choosing something special to share with friends and family.
Spain produces cheeses made from cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, with its sheep’s milk cheeses standing out for their extraordinary variety. Produced from native breeds and often made with raw milk, they deliver exceptional richness, complexity and character.
From the pastures where animals graze to the way each cheese is matured, every choice influences its character. Behind each cheese are the makers, their craft and the traditions of their region. Spanish Cheese Week is an opportunity to share those stories and discover the variety beyond the familiar Manchego.
Cheese helped inspire the founding of Brindisa in 1988 and has been part of our story from the very beginning. As our co-founder, Monika Linton, recalls:
“The very first cheese I brought to London, back in 1990, came from a village so small and remote that it barely appeared on the map. The cheese had no name, no brand, and no reputation. Yet that humble wheel opened more doors for Brindisa in the early 90s than any other.”
Ever since, we have sought out cheesemakers across Spain, building relationships with producers whose work reflects the traditions of their region. That care continues in our Cheese Rooms in Balham, where our team looks after cheeses as they mature, readying them for the counter and the table.
Behind the scenes at Brindisa, our London cheese rooms quietly nurture some of Spain’s most cherished artisan cheeses. We recreate the conditions of the Spanish dairies, allowing each cheese to rest and ripen as it should. It’s a labour of love led by our devoted cheese team, whose obsession with ewe’s and goat’s milk cheeses ensures that every bite carries the story of the land, the maker, and the season.
Manchego is the best-known example of a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese. Villarejo’s semi-cured and cured sheep’s milk cheeses show how maturation transforms flavour, while Hualdo’s raw milk Manchego is made from the milk of its own Manchega flock.
Beyond Manchego, there is so much to discover. La Retorta is made with vegetarian thistle rennet and prized for its rich, spoonable centre. Murcia al Vino is a wine-washed, creamy goat’s cheese, while Luna Negra has a distinctive coating of ash. From northern Spain comes the assertive Valdeón Picos blue.
Together, they show the remarkable variety of Spain’s cheesemaking traditions and the care that goes into every cheese we select.
During Spanish Cheese Week, participating delis and retailers will bring the week to their counters through displays and tastings, while restaurants will feature Spanish Cheese Week cheeseboards.
Pair a blue with membrillo, find the perfect sherry for your Manchego, or simply ask us what we’d recommend. It might mean finding a cheese to take to a friend’s house, trying a new pairing or choosing something special for your Christmas table.
By celebrating Spanish cheeses, we celebrate the craftsmanship, knowledge and biodiversity that make Spanish cheesemaking unique.
Quesos Villarejo, Pascualete, Quesos Navalmoral, Elvira García, Quesos Valdeón, Quesos Payoyo, Quesos de Hualdo, Tierra de Barros, Nicolás Cardona, Quesos La Peral, Quesos Rocinante
2 people
20 mins
2-3 people
20 mins
2-3 people
20 mins
2
10 mins
4-6 people
45 mins - 2 hours
10 people
30-40 mins
8 people
30-35 mins
3-4
30-45 mins
2 people
20 mins
25 people
0 mins
Serves 4
40 mins
2 people
25 mins
4–6 people
1 hour
4 people
40 mins
2-3
25 mins
4 people
10 mins
4 people
55 mins
4 as side dish
5 mins
2-4
0 minutes
2-3
10 mins
2-3 people
2 hours and 10 mins
4-5 people
1.5 to 2 hours
2 people
40 mins
serves 5
2-3 hours
Serves 6
3 hours 45 mins
2 people
20 - 30 mins
6-8 as a side
45 min
6-8 people as an aperitive
30 min
4 as a main
20 min
4-6 people as a starter
45-50 min
4-6 people as an aperitive
25/30 min
4-6 people as a main
35 min
4-6 people as a starter
45 min
2
30
2
30
6 people
0 (apart from the boiled eggs)
2 people
12 mins
4 people
1 hour
4 people
2 mins
4 people (as tapas with other dishes)
15-30 mins
4 people
8 mins
4 people
25 minutes
4 people
0 min
4 people
40 mins
2 people
50 mins
Serves 4-6
15 minutes (croutons)
4 people
1 hour 40 mins
Serves 4
30 mins
Serves 4
30 mins
