Portside Wharf and Moda Events have teamed up with local business, The Cheese Pleaser, to bring The Cheese Pleaser Pop-Up to the riverside precinct from Thursday January 21 to Sunday January 24.

Revellers in search of a family-friendly day out can bring a picnic blanket and settle in for an afternoon of cheese and entertainment on the turf, while wine connoisseurs and craft-beer lovers can mingle in the licensed area and sip away to the sounds of local artists paying homage to Aussie music legends.

Cheese lovers will adore the $12 platters featuring four cheeses carefully selected by Sharyn de Kort, owner of The Cheese Pleaser, a local company that provides boutique hampers and cheese boards for gifts and events.

The cheeses will be accompanied by an apple and walnut chutney created by Javier Codina, chef de cuisine and co-owner of Moda Restaurant and Moda Events Portside.

Cheese platters include:

Maffra Cheese
Made in the town of Maffra at the base of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, Maffra has been making small volumes of cheddar since the 90’s. Not too strong, matured to a distinctive smooth flavour with peak maturity between 12 to 18 months. Maffra Cheese is hand crafted using milk from their single herd of Holstein Fresians.

Woombye Tripe Cream Brie
The delicate white bloom on the outside hides a deliciously rich and creamy center. The addition of extra cream to the already rich Jersey milk creates an exquisite masterpiece that has become one of The Cheese Pleasers’ flagship cheeses.

L’Artisan Extravagant
A fascinatingly decadent triple cream cheese, mild and creamy when young and with a strong bite and very runny texture when ripe. It reflects the softer side of the local climate and the generosity of the Timboon pasture. The cream is incredibly delicate and makes this cheese Champagne’s best friend.

Shadows of Blue
Australia’s favourite soft blue cheese. Made using cream-enriched whole milk, this rich, luscious cheese has a soft, creamy texture and distinctive, mild, sweet blue mould flavour; like the “Triple Cream Cheese” the cultures grow quickly in the warm, rich, creamy milk producing a firm, chalky cheese. The Roqueforti mould cultures break this down to a soft texture and mild, full flavour. This light soft blue cheese is best enjoyed as a table or platter cheese and served with dried fruit and fig and walnut bread.