cheeseboard with cups of tea for tea and cheese pairing guide

We’re here to tell you that pairing tea with cheese is totally a thing. While wine has long been the go-to when it comes to cheese, you’ll be surprised by how much tea opens a world of interesting new flavour combinations. Balancing the two is a fine that act that helps to accentuate and highlight the tasty qualities of both the cheese and the tea, resulting in quite the experience. Tea and cheese pairing is an exploration of taste, texture, and aroma. Whether you’re a cheese aficionado or a tea lover, these combinations will enrich your culinary repertoire, showcasing the versatility and depth of both ingredients. Are you ready to open your mind to the idea? Here’s our expert run down all in one handy Tea and Cheese Pairing Guide. It was hard work, but someone had to do it.

Organic Darjeeling Summer Singell + Brie de Meaux

This classic Darjeeling (a second flush) is known as the “champagne of teas,” owing to its unique, protected origin in the foothills of the Himalayas. With honeyed, floral and muscatel notes that complement the creamy, earthy richness of Brie de Meaux, the tea’s natural astringency balances with the cheese’s smooth texture. If you’re feeling sweet, you can also add a drizzle of honey to the cheese.

Tie Guan Yin + Comté

Tie Guan Yin, a light Chinese oolong from Fujian, with floral and buttery undertones, pairs beautifully with Comté, a nutty, aged French cheese with notes of hazelnuts and a light, fruity aroma. The tea’s smoothness mirrors the cheese’s silky texture, while its floral notes accentuate Comté’s caramel-like notes. As Comté ages, it becomes better suited to darker, fruitier oolongs like Organic Wuyi Oolong, which highlights the earthy notes that the cheese acquires in the maturation process.

smoky lapsang souchong black tea cold brew
Cold Brew Smoky Lapsang Souchong

Smoky Lapsang Souchong + Shropshire Blue

The bold smokiness of Lapsang Souchong black tea contrasts with tangy and creamy Shropshire Blue cheese marbled with blue-green veins. This pairing creates a robust flavour explosion, with the tea’s pinewood aroma enhancing the intensity of the cheese’s maturity. The blue mold of this cheese contributes a spicy edge, which helps the sweeter notes of the tea to shine through. A plate of ripe figs also works well with this duo.

brewed assam english breakfast black tea with milk
Assam English Breakfast Black Tea

Assam English Breakfast + Montgomery Cheddar

Assam’s malty and full-bodied profile matches Montgomery Cheddar’s rich and sharp complexity. The tea cuts through the cheese’s acidity, while the small crystals of salt in the cheese enhance the fruity notes of Assam Breakfast. If you were to enjoy this pairing with the addition of apple chutney or caramelised onions, a layer of sweetness would complete the experience.

brewed taiwan oriental beauty oolong with teapot of steeped loose leaf tea
Taiwan Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea

Taiwan Oriental Beauty Oolong + Manchego

Oriental Beauty, a dark, Taiwanese oolong, has a honeyed sweetness and fruity, wild cherry notes that complement Manchego’s nutty, caramel-like flavours and grassy undertones. The tea’s floral smoothness balances the Manchego’s salty richness, creating a layered pairing of sweet, savoury, and earthy tastes. Enjoyed alongside a little membrillo (a special hard jelly made from quince) this pairing is incredibly satisfying.

Ripe Puerh Pearls + Smoked Gouda

Ripe Puerh’s earthy, deep flavours, with notes of spice and tobacco, resonate with the smoky, creamy notes of Smoked Gouda. The combination creates a rich and more-ish taste, and can be further enhanced with addition of medjool dates, and hard, salty crackers.

Matcha Ceremonial Grade Yame

Matcha Ceremonial Grade Yame + Burrata

The smooth sweetness and umami depth of our Ceremonial Matcha find a surprising ally in the delicate creaminess of burrata. The tea’s vibrant freshness enhances the cheese’s mild flavour for a decadent pairing. A green salad with basil would further enhance the experience, cutting through the rich nature of both the Matcha and the cheese nicely.

Organic Japanese Gyokuro + Parmigiano Reggiano

Gyokuro, a Japanese green tea prized for its umami richness, perfectly complements Parmigiano Reggiano’s savoury, crystalline texture. Together, they have a satisfying depth and nuance. To fully enjoy the pairing, allow a small piece of the cheese to crumble and melt in your mouth before taking a sip of gyokuro and noticing how its vegetal notes really bring the flavours of the cheese to another level.

Organic White Peony Bai Mu Dan White Tea paired with cheese and honey
Organic White Peony Bai Mu Dan White Tea paired with cheese and honey

Organic White Peony Bai Mu Dan + Baron Bigod

The gentle floral, cucumber, and melon-fruit notes of Bai Mu Dan – a Chinese white tea – align with Baron Bigod’s creamy, mushroom-y character. Bai Mu Dan also has inherent honey notes that lend a sweetness to the pairing. In fact, enjoying this pairing alongside fresh melon or cucumber isn’t a bad idea – their juiciness will extend the flavours in the tea.

brewed lapsang bai mu dan white tea pouring in to a glass cup
Organic Lapsang Bai Mu Dan

Organic Lapsang Bai Mu Dan + Truffle Baron Bigod

This one is kind of like the above, except there’s now the pinewood smoke involved from the tea, and the truffle in the cheese. This smoky, rich combination is uber decadent and intense, so we would also recommend adding something slightly acidic and sweet to the equation such as slices of apple to cut through the richness.

Superior Qian Tang Dragon Well Long Jing + Bouche de Chèvre

Long Jing, one of China’s most famous green teas, with its chestnut-sweetness and vegetal notes, enhances the tangy, creamy nature of Bouche de Chèvre. The tea’s clean finish balances this goat cheese’s bright acidity and creates a pairing that would be much enjoyed at lunchtime alongside black olive tapenade that could lend a salty element to the experience.

steeped herbal lemon verbena pouring in to a clear teapot
Organic Lemon Verbena

Organic Lemon Verbena + Ricotta

The zesty, citrusy notes of Lemon Verbena highlight the light and milky freshness of ricotta. This refreshing pairing is ideal as a palate cleanser, a starter with baby leaf spinach, or a light dessert course like a cheesecake with forest berries.


Feeling inspired by your Tea and Cheese Pairing Guide? We also have a Cold Brew Tea Pairing Guide for all your tea pairing needs.

cold brew and oyster pairing

box of teabags next to a steeped teapot and glass cup

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