Think of cheese and it’s typically the French or Swiss that come to mind. Not the Brits. Or is it? Thanks to a growing group of talented, enthusiastic, and young artisanal cheesemakers in the UK, it seems Britain is claiming the throne. Of cheese, that is.

One place showcasing England’s new energy of cheesemaking is Neal’s Yard Dairy, based in London. Here, the fine work of over 70 organic artisanal cheesemakers is carefully selected from farms throughout Britain and Ireland. At their old-school, classic English-style boutique shops, chunks of tasty cheeses are perched high, piled up on one other, while wheels are sorted in shelves, forming a sort of mouldy rind wallpaper.

There’s tangy, buttery Stilton, next to salty, meaty washed rind sheep’s milk cheeses, opposite moist, farmy cheddar. The fragrance tickles your nose when you enter the shop and all your senses are tugged; the texture, the color, the way it bites as you savor it on your tongue. Unctuous, rich cheeses all diligently selected and perfectly ripened.

So next time you’re in London, check out Neal’s Yard Dairy and remember that it is here where cheese reigns king – or queen, as it were.

[First photo via HauntedMansion on Flickr. Second photo courtesy of Croque-Camille.]

Just south of Tokyo, in the port city of Yokohama, heaps of loyal customers flock to Nana’s Green Tea. Within its chic interiors, Nana’s takes a contemporary approach to traditional Japanese drinks with a plethora of hot and cold green tea creations filling their menus. Powdered green tea (or maccha) ice creams, frozen maccha lattes topped with whipped cream, green tea parfaits, and a whole host of drinks made with azuki beans are a mere sampling of the tasty treats on offer. And seeing as everything is laced with green tea, it’s lucky that it also happens to be one of the healthiest teas around so you’ll never need an excuse to indulge in Nana’s; After all, it is your daily antioxidant fix…

[Photo via takus on flickr.]

Stepping into Papabubble is a treat to be devoured in itself: the sugary scent of homemade candy saturates the boutique, while curvaceous glass jars packed with kaleidoscopic sweets line the shelves, next to gleefully hanging silver bags of bright, colorful lollies. At the Barcelona location, I stood behind a row of children in awe, jaws wide open, as Papabubble’s candy makers poured deeply-colored sugar onto the bare countertops that make up half the shop. Their color-stained gloves pulled, twisted, turned, and tugged massive strands of delicious sugar into artistic confections.

Better yet was the offer to sample some of the just-made, still-warm candy. Happily, I indulged. And, oh, how easy it was; Pappabubble boasts scrumptious flavors, like passion fruit or lavender, cola or mint. All are bursting with intensity, colorfully placed in their well-packaged jars, test tubes, and lollies.

Whether you hop in to the Barcelona, Tokyo, Manhattan, or Amsterdam location, you are sure to find yourself happily hooked to the Pappabubble’s whimsical wonderment. Take that Willy Wonka.

Photo courtesy of Crispy Bits.

With a chic interior, solid coffee, and an enthusiastic team running the joint, Dead Man Espresso in South Melbourne is unsurprisingly boasting a loyal following of addictive fans. The minimalist interior, with long communal tables and perches lining the front windows, creates the perfect laid back vibe for enjoying their house blend espressos and weekly changing single-origin coffees. But what sets this space apart from other coffee hangouts is the tasty food on offer. There’s an infamous herb dressed pork belly sandwich, or steak with mozzarella and relish on bread. If you’re feeling adventurous, they’re awfully creative with adding fruit into savory dishes for an extra pop of sweet, freshness. Take for instance, their smoked salmon served on rye with avocado and grapefruit salsa, or their omelets with lemon, ricotta, and thyme (yum!). Between the stellar vibe, design, and menu, Dead Man Espresso is anything but dead on arrival.

Photo via jesterhoax on Flickr.

Honey, almond praline, cheese, and black pepper are a few of the fifty-six plus flavors that make-up Meiji’s solid chocolate bar collection, which are lovingly displayed throughout Tokyo’s 100% Chocolate Cafe. Each of Meiji’s square chocolate block is numbered according to its what’s hiding inside, which includes variations on single coco beans, milks, fruits and herbs, and sweeteners. Packaged in bright pastels and bold colors, adorned with a clean, sleek, modern typeface, the slender bars ornament an entire kaleidoscopic wall at the increasingly popular cafe. The concept behind this space was to transport visitors into the middle of a hip yet sophisticated, stainless steel, contemporary chocolate kitchen where rich and decadent chocolate desserts and daring sweets are available for the tasting. Silky, airy, vivid chocolate creams in flavors like mocha bitter are swirled into the center of big shallow steel bowls. Choose a taste you fancy and it’s inserted into the pastry of your liking. If all this isn’t enough, chocolate ice creams with smooth, mousse-like textures are served next to chocolate drinks, accompanied by chocolate sandwiches. It’s no wonder that for countless devotees, 100% Chocolate Cafe is pure love.

Fresh buffalo mozzarella matched with salty prosciutto and chilled Prosecco is a fantastic, simple Italian lunch. The smooth and silky surface of the curvaceous mozzarella, with its creamy center that slightly oozes when pierced, is epicurean bliss. And I am not nearly alone in my enthusiasm: mozzarella has now joined the ranks of haute chocolate and wine, with its own class of internationally placed bars. Obika is just that, a set of stylish mozzarella bars with locations in places like Rome, New York, Tokyo, and Kuwait City.

The concept behind the bar centers on offering fresh, authentic Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, served alongside high-quality artisanal Italian products. Here, purveyors regularly fly in (where applicable) handmade mozzarella processed entirely from water buffalo milk. To really explore the depths of the cheese, go for a tasting. Depending on the mozzarella’s region, different flavors and intensities, ranging from sweet and delicate to strong and smoky, are exhibited. What’s more, each tasting is paired with Italian specialities like prosciutto from San Daniele, Sicilian vegetables, and salami from free range Tuscan pigs. This is a slow food junkie’s paradise. Admittedly, some of the Obika bars have received a few less-than-stellar reviews, but that is just one more reason to go and check it out yourself.

What do you get when the head of a creative agency obsessed with chocolate, conceptualizes, designs, and opens his very own chocolate boutique-cum-cafe? In the case of Singapore’s Chocolate Research Facility, the answer is an exotic wonderland of dripping chocolate from the walls, tables resembling chunks of chocolate, and a plethora of chic, stylish stacks of eclectically packaged bars. Designed by Chris Lee and his Singaporean-based design firm, Asylum, the Chocolate Research Facility is an inspired shop with over 100 flavors of tasty chocolate from honey melon and cassis to longan and pumpkin seeds. The fun packaging is full of quirky subtleties too, like identifiable clues that hint at flavors, such as a blurry photograph to suggest alcohol content. Together, the creativity of the concept, combined with scrumptious chocolate dolled up in clever packaging, is not only generating a lot of adrenalin-filled chocolate buzz in Singapore, but around the world, too.

Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? Not that lead-in-your-stomach, greasy kind but the fresh, flavorful, pillowy soft, totally satisfying type. If you’re keen on the latter and you’re lucky enough to find yourself near San Francisco, then stop into the legendary Dynamo Donuts. Dynamo is not so much a proper boutique doughnut shop — though there are plans — as opposed to a stand in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood. Tucked away in a sunny corner, Dynamo serves mouth-watering doughnuts, moist and springy, full of taste and creativity. By far the most famous of their delights is the bacon-apple with maple glaze specialty. That’s right: bacon on a doughnut every Friday and Sunday. Other flavors, like their banana dulce de leche, with its rich cake and center full of fresh bananas, get just as extraordinary raves.

San Franciscans are not normally timid when it comes to food. Good thing then that Humphry Slocombe’s ice cream parlor has made its home in this foodie town. Here, revelatory ice cream is served in an overwhelming, adventurous, unexpected list of flavors.

Forget simple vanilla and strawberry, and experiment with such sensations as balsamic caramel, ancho chocolate, and green-tea-black sesame. And if you’re feeling really inspired, try their fume (smoked) variety, foie gras, hibiscus beet, or better yet, government cheese. Word on the street is they even had a truffle ice cream happening. Take any of these and ask for it between a cookie for a fantastical ice cream sandwich. But if you’re feeling dizzy from all the possibilities, don’t fret — Humphry Slocombe only offers about ten to twelve flavors each day, updated daily on Twitter, of course.

This post was originally published on Lost At E Minor.