North & North East Spain

From the Spanish Pyrenees with its alpine climate to the Mediterranean warmth of the east and the verdant ‘green’ north with its Atlantic influences, the terrain in northern Spain is varied and dramatic. The people are hard working and proud, and the food culture in Bilbao and San Sebastián has rocketed to stardom, whilst the incredible ingenuity of Ferran Adrià of El Bulli has shown the world a new way of cooking. Yet the cheesemaking here is so simple, with styles and flavours that embrace the land, and appeal to the eye, with some cheeses resembling craggy rocks and others smoky mounds. From the rugged beauty of the mountains to the seaside cliffs and the lush pastures straddling the rivers, the cheeses in this part of Spain really reflect the land that has produced them.