05 Oct Culinary expedition – From Paris to Kaasfort Amsterdam
René Koelman on his love for French cheeses
Anyone who has ever experienced a cheese tasting at Eat2Gather knows: good cheese is pure taste and experience. And when it comes to special French cheeses, we like to call René Koelman. We spoke to him about his extraordinary career path, his passion for maturation and selection, as well as asking him about his ultimate top 10 French cheeses.
As the grandchild of cheese trader Kaptein, René grew up surrounded by cheeses. After graduating from the Hotelschool Amsterdam, he worked in top restaurants in the Netherlands and Belgium, where his interest in cheese was rekindled. His career took a serious turn when he joined the Kaptein company and had the opportunity to sell and buy cheese in Paris. There, he discovered his passion for affining cheese, especially after studying the ripening methods of French cheesemakers.
Bourgondisch lifestyle: from dream to fort
What started with an idea grew into a unique business. In 2001, René founded Bourgondisch Lifestyle. In the following years, a shop, a wholesale business, and even the takeover of the famous Caulils Delicatessen in Amsterdam followed. But the crowning glory of his work is undoubtedly Kaasfort Amsterdam: located in Fort Zuidwijkermeer in Assendelft, with nine ripening rooms where cheeses develop their full flavour under ideal conditions.
Today, René and his team supply more than 300 catering businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany – as well as dedicating themselves to knowledge transfer via his own SVH-certified cheese course.
René Koelman’s top 10 French cheeses
Especially for Eat2Gather, René selected his favourite French cheeses. A list full of character, tradition and refinement – ideal as inspiration for your next cheeseboard, tasting or dinner.
Goat cheeses
- Sainte Maure de Touraine: Loire goat cheese, with a straw for firmness, an ash layer for wrinkles and a taste of walnut and fresh acidity.
- Mothais á la Feuille: Old goat cheese from southern Poitou, ripened on a plane leaf, with a creamy texture and a spicy flavour that becomes stronger with ageing.
Creamy cheese
- Brie de Meaux AOC: This French brie has a subtle, earthy flavour and creamy texture, known as ‘the King of Cheeses’.
- Ecume de Wimereux: Creamy raw cow’s milk cheese from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, with fresh acidity and a buttery flavour due to the addition of cream.
Hard cheeses
- Comté Fort Zuidwijkermeer: A fruity Comté with nutty notes, ripened 18 months in the Jura and 6 months in a meat cellar at Fort Zuidwijkermeer.
- Brebis Napoleon artisanal: Sheep’s cheese from the Pyrenees, with a rich flavour after maturing for 10 months in the natural cellars of Baraillan.
Red flora cheeses
- Le P’tit Gros Lorrain Munster: A large, lightly washed cheese from Lorraine, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and a flavour perfect for salad or to incorporate into a dish.
- Epoisses fermier: Strong-smelling, washed rind cheese from Epoisses, with a salty, metallic flavour and creamy texture due to maturation in marc.
Blue-veined cheeses
- Bleu de Règalis: A creamy blue vein from the Pyrenees, made from sheep’s milk and ripened in paraffin, with a subtly spicy taste.
- Bleu de Gex: Mountain cheese from Haute-Jura with a floral taste, ripened with air channels for the development of blue cheese, ideal with dry rosé or Jura wines.
Taste, discover and experience
With such a list in hand, it’s hard to choose. Fortunately, you don’t have to travel to France to taste these cheeses. During our French cheese tastings and workshops at Eat2Gather, we introduce you to cheeses like these – and tell the stories behind them.
Want to experience for yourself what makes cheese really special? Discover our culinary activities with French flair. Vive la France just starts here!