24 Sep Our story with Choc & Cheese

One of the most rewarding parts of running Nichols Pickles & Preserves is seeing what happens when our products leave our kitchen and find their way into somebody else’s. A curd or conserve that we know can become an ingredient in an entirely new creation, combining the flavours we have developed with the ideas and skills of another food producer. That is exactly what happens at Choc & Cheese, where Matt Clarke uses three of our products to create three rather tempting cheesecakes.

The Story Behind Choc & Cheese

Matt’s career in food began more than 25 years ago, when he worked as a commis chef at the Hempel Hotel in London. He went on to study food preparation and cooking at Westminster Kingsway College before returning to Essex, where his work included baking bread and desserts for a restaurant and its adjoining delicatessen. After moving to Yorkshire, Matt drew on that experience to create Choc & Cheese in 2019. The name combines chocolate-based treats and cheesecakes which are at the heart of the business. Although the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his original plans, Matt went on to establish Choc & Cheese through markets and events, as well as supplying local hospitality businesses. Today, Matt creates artisan cheesecakes and other handcrafted treats for customers across Yorkshire. In 2023, his baked vanilla cheesecake and triple chocolate brownie were both recognised with Great Taste Award stars. Quality ingredients are central to what Matt makes, and he sources from other local producers wherever possible. It was through the local food community that our paths first crossed.

From a Farmers’ Market to Matt’s kitchen

We first met Matt at a farmers’ market. Markets naturally bring small food businesses together. Alongside meeting customers, we get to know the people working on nearby stalls, discover what they make and find new ways for our products to complement one another. What began with conversations at a market developed into a supportive relationship between our two businesses. Matt now uses a range of Nichols Pickles & Preserves products in his cheesecakes.

Perhaps the most characteristically ‘Yorkshire’ of Matt’s creations is his Rhubarb and Custard Cheesecake, made using our Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb Conserve. Forced rhubarb is one of Yorkshire’s most distinctive ingredients, prized for its vivid colour and sweeter and more delicate flavour, compared with regular (green top) rhubarb. (We only produce it for around 4 weeks of the year so keep an eye out for it in February!). Pairing the Forced Rhubarb Conserve with custard in his cheesecakes gives a familiar British combination an entirely new form, whilst allowing the character of the rhubarb to remain at its heart.

Our Lemon Curd is also used in Matt’s lemon cheesecake. Its clean buttery citrus flavour provides a fresh contrast to the richness of the creamy cheesecake, creating a combination that is familiar for good reason. It also demonstrates how effectively a curd can be used as an ingredient in its own right, rather than being reserved for spreading on toast or filling a cake. Similarly, our Lime Curd is a key ingredient in Matt’s key lime cheesecake. Lime has a sharper citrus character than lemon, which helps to balance the rich filling and gives the finished cheesecake a vibrant, refreshing flavour. Although Lemon Curd and Lime Curd sit alongside one another in our range, Matt’s cheesecakes show how differently the two fruits can work in a dessert.

Another pairing moves away from citrus altogether. During the festive season, Matt uses our Spiced Plum Conserve to make his spiced plum cheesecake, combining a creamy dessert with the rich fruit and iconic spices. We make our conserve using fresh plums, cinnamon and mace, resulting in a rounded spiced flavour that works particularly well during the colder months.

For us, seeing these three products used in Matt’s kitchen is extremely satisfying. We develop and make every jar ourselves in Howden, carefully considering the balance of fruit, sweetness, acidity and spice. Matt then takes those flavours in a different direction, using his own experience and creativity to turn them into something that is unmistakably Choc & Cheese.

Local Food Businesses Supporting Each Other

Our relationship with Choc & Cheese is not a formal collaboration or a specially created range. It is something simpler and more natural: two independent East Yorkshire food businesses getting to know one another, using and recommending each other’s products and offering support whenever we can. That support can take many forms. Sometimes it means choosing an ingredient made by another local producer; at other times, it might involve sharing their work, recommending them to a customer or stopping for a conversation when we meet at a market. These may seem like small gestures, but they help to create a stronger and better-connected local food community, and it’s something we really enjoy doing. They can also introduce customers to products and producers they might not otherwise encounter. Someone enjoying one of Matt’s cheesecakes may discover our curds and conserves for the first time, whilst our customers can discover Choc & Cheese by seeing how Matt transforms our products. The result is more than a connection between two businesses. It is a chance for people to experience familiar flavours in a completely new way.

We are delighted that our products have found a place in Matt’s kitchen. Naturally, we are always willing to assist when some cheesecake tasting is required. You can learn more about Matt and his cheesecakes, brownies and other treats on the Choc & Cheese website, or look out for him at markets and events around Yorkshire.

The next time you open a jar of curd or conserve, it may be worth looking beyond toast and scones. As Matt’s desserts show, a preserve does not have to be just a topping or finishing touch. In the right hands, it can become the starting point for something entirely new.

If you fancy trying your hand at creating a dessert of your own, take a look at our range of preserves and see what inspires you.