Cheese doesn’t just have a cult following. Its gooey, creamy delicious-ness brings out a passion in people. When there’s but a sniff of a new haunt where cheese-lovers can gorge on the stuff, it immediately has a wait-list as long as your arm.

We saw it with the cheese conveyor belt, which opened last year as part of the Covent Garden’s KERB food market, and was quickly one of the most talked about foodie experiences in London. Now Mathew Carver, the brains behind both the conveyor belt and Camden Market’s Cheese Bar, has announced a Cheese Barge which will float into Paddington Central this spring.

As the name suggests, it will be a restaurant on a boat, adding an experiential element to all the scoffing.

The two-floor floating restaurant is a custom-built boat (currently being constructed in Somerset) and is said to be inspired by the nautically-themed Electra Bookshop in Venice, which has an unusual long, green roof. Cheese and books? That’s what dreams are made of!

The restaurant will be able to host 40 people, and its kitchen will be run by executive chef Ross Keeling and head chef Reagan Ellenbroek. There will be a big focus on “honest British dishes using small producer cheese”.

Fancy a little taster of what that involves? Well, how does Devils on Horseback (medjool dates stuffed with stilton and wrapped in bacon) and the Maida Vale (treacle soda bread base covered with washed cheese rind, smoked mackerel and a green sauce) sound?

The boat will also have its own head cheesemonger who will be working hard to ensure that every week sees a new, expertly-curated list of British cheeses and pairings.

We’ll update you as soon as we know the spring opening date, but we think it’s going to be gouda.  

Images: Unsplash - Camille Brodard