Sake and cheese pairing is rapidly gaining popularity both in Japan and abroad. Come experience this winning combination for yourself, while also learning the general principles of how to pair sake with food! Matching sake with cheese is much easier than with wine, thanks to the power of umami (savouriness, the “fifth taste” present in both cheese and sake), shared flavours from fermentation (both cheese and sake are naturally fermented products), and sake’s gentler acidity.

Our sake and cheese tutor Sarah will cover the basics of sake and cheese production and share stories of the artisanal producers in Japan behind each premium sake we showcase. You will taste some special sake styles (junmai, koshu, kimoto/yamahai) that have lots of umami savouriness and pair beautifully with cheese. You will also learn about sake and food pairing principles – sake of course goes perfectly with Japanese food, but did you know it is a great match for Western cuisine too? You'll pick up lots of useful information to help you choose your perfect sake and cheese match and discover which sake styles you enjoy most.

On the evening you will taste six different premium sake across a range of styles, accompanied by six artisanal cheeses from local cheesemonger Hamish Johnston.

About the Instructor and School:

Dr. Sarah Stewart is a WSET Certified Sake Educator and teaches sake, wine and cheese courses at West London Wine School, alongside serving as the Membership & Events Officer for the British Sake Association. She is also one of only three instructors globally able to teach the advanced Sake Scholar qualification on sake regionality. She lived in Japan for two years and returns annually to continue her beverage studies there. You can find her @sakestudies on Instagram.

West London Wine School is a local, independent and award-winning wine, sake, beer and cheese education company founded in 2010 and based in the heart of West London. Our courses and tastings focus on enjoying beverages whilst learning more in a relaxed and informal setting with friendly people and industry-leading tutors. In 2018 we received the prestigious WSET Educator of the Year Award for the top wine education provider globally, and have an average review score of 5 stars on Trip Advisor.