La Vera is a boutique factory cheese making company where the number one focus is "the genuine art…read moreof cheese making." With cheese making facilities on site the real attraction for punters like you and me is the La Vera retail outlet shop. The shop is open to the general public who can buy both the amazing array of La Vera cheeses along with all sorts of other gourmet treats. Visit the shop on almost any day and you'll be joined at the counter by legions of Italian ladies. In fact the chief language spoken inside the shop is Italian. Not being familiar with the language myself, I brought the tone down considerably with my Aussie strine but the whole experience made me feel like I was temporarily transported to an Italian marketplace. Of their range of products, the cheeses I recommend are the La Vera Ricotta which head cheese maker Pino says is best eaten on fresh bread and with a drizzle of honey - his version of the breakfast of champions. I love the La Vera Mascarpone. It is quite simply to die for. In fact you may want to visit your local GP first to get your cholesterol checked before eating. Their mozzarella balls both large and small, are the creamiest and most divine you could experience. And if you are a lover of blue cheese, you just can't go past the La Vera Adel Blue and the Adel Blue Spreadable. Here's a secret tip - if you go to the ABC's website for The Cook and the Chef, and search the recipes for Fig and Blue Cheese Tartlets, Maggie Beer's recipe uses the La Vera products. Shhh, don't tell!

La Vera used to sell their cheeses direct to the public from the factory 'cellar door' - it was a…read morequaint experience which is a little lost now with the much more polished 'Bottega La Vera' opened a few shops down the road - that's not an entirely bad thing though, the Bottega is one of the most impressive places to buy food in the area. They ARE specialists in cheese, and if you're a cheese lover you owe it to yourself to sample the range. There's everything from hard Pecorino and Parmesan to Mozarella and Bocconcini, Blue, Brie, and everything in between. I recommend the hot chilli Casalingo - I haven't had another cheese like it.

Botega Rotolo is a really good Italian/gourmet food store in Norwood…read more It is tucked away a bit, in an unobtrusive building on Osmond terrace which at first glance almost could pass as an accountant's office. Inside there are stacks of pastas, preserves, oils and vineagars and of course, fancy imported wine and cheese in which they specialize. In addition to functioning as a gourmet food store, Botega Rotolo also offer cooking classes at which one can be initiated into the cooking secrets of the Italian masters (like garlic is for slow cooking and onions for fast cooking and never the twain shall meet). The quality of the produce here is high and things are certainly not cheap, but it is quite good value considering what you are paying for.

Bottega Rotolo's cheese room is undoubtedly the best I've ever experienced. There's something…read moredecadent about those huge wheels of cheese. Maybe its not so much decadence as it is my arteries hardening at the thought of all that cheese but let's forget my arteries momentarily and talk cheese! As well as locally produced cheeses, their cheese room stocks products from Italy, France and Spain and those using a variety of milks and ingredients. Soft cheese, hard cheese, blue cheese, any cheese ... Don't let me give you the wrong idea though, Bottega Rotolo is not only about cheese. Just go inside and you'll find foods you never dreamed existed unless of course you're already a gourmet chef. If you are (or you're a chef in the making) and you're in the market for some couverture chocolate, Italian sparkling wine, truffles, imported pasta, or a spot of caviar - is your mouth watering yet - pay Connie and Rosalie a visit. Bottega Rotolo also hold their own cooking classes. After all what's the use of having all those ingredients if you don't know what to do with them. Their classes include everything from total hands on experiences to demonstrations as well as a combination of the two. They issue a new calendar of classes every couple of months and most are priced at $95. Located on Osmond Terrace at Norwood just before you get to the Oriental Hotel. In fact if you get to the Oriental, you've gone too far. Look for the famous Bottega "B" on their sign.

Say Cheese is probably the biggest cheese stall in the markets…read more They have a huge range of both local and imported cheeses, as well as cheese accompanyments, such a quince and fig paste and crackers. Say Cheese has free cheese tastings on Thursdays, Fridays and, Saturdays (my favorite way to sample cheese) although it can be a bit sporadic so you have to luck out. Prices vary according to quality and the nature of the cheese, but you can be pretty sure to find something good for a reasonable price. Unless you are looking for dodgy cheddar or kraft singles, they'll probably have what you are looking for.

Ah, the central market. What a spectacular place. Full of smells, sights, sounds and tastes…read more There's one category of shop that the market keeps me coming back for. Cheese shops. "Say Cheese... by Jove; what do they sell?" said no one, ever. They sell Cheeeeese. What kind of cheese? All the cheeses of the world of course. Want something to grill? They've got Gruyeres and English Cheddar, Gouda and Provolone. Pizza? They have you covered with Mozzarella, Bocconcini, Fetta, etcetera. Platter you say? Get some Gorgonzola, Goats Chevre, Watsonia or smoked Cheddar, Brie, Camembert, D' Argental and more. They also sell crispy crackers, terrine, pate, fruit pastes and bread. Enough to make you dance around singing about cheese and then have crazy nightmares. Well worth a visit... every week for the rest of your life.

Vella Pasta is a jewel in the Campbelltown area, providing real quality pasta and sauces at a…read morefactory door price - that's easy for them to do, given they actually are a fully fledged pasta factory - for quite a while I thought the big signs out on the road advertising pasta and sauce to take home were actually something to do with the BP, up until the BP was demolished and the signs stayed. Exploration of the area yielded the factory tucked away at the back of the carpark - inside we found pasta, sauce and garlic bread for the four of us - fettucine and a creamy carbonara sauce for my wife and I, and spaghetti with lashings of meaty bolognese for the kids - all for well under $20. The pasta is fresh, gorgeous when soaked briefly in a pot of boiling salty water - the sauces are rich and plentiful (we bought two lots of pasta and sauce for two - you'd comfortably feed three from each serve). A return visit allowed me to try the vodka sauce - very, very much recommended. There's lots of off street parking nearby, even with the construction currently going on on the old BP site. Do yourself a favour and grab some really fresh pasta to cook at home, it's delicious.

This poor place has suffered due to a huge amount of demolition works in front of the shop which…read moremakes it appear to be closed. However, Vella Pasta is a brilliant shop that stocks locally made pastas for everyone - including Coeliacs. They have fresh made pastas and pasta sauces available in whatever size and weight you need, garlic breads and frozen varieties. The prices are great and you can watch the staff make the pasta through a window behind the sales counter, so you know it's fresh. The result of what you make is always full of flavour and perfectly cooked on the advice of the sales staff. Don't know what to do for dinner? Vella pasta is a great, cheap idea. And yes, it's open.

We booked in online for the deluxe high tea. The basement had a great atmosphere. The food was…read moredelightful and they were kid-friendly. The staff were friendly and the experience was lovely. The tea didn't have some of the flavours advertised but our groups aren't tea experts so that wasn't a knock against them for my group. The food made with their cheese was absolutely top tier. Would highly recommend. Don't have lunch beforehand though as you won't be able to enjoy all of the lovely food.

My brother in laws family goes here all the time to get their cheese…read more A cute quaint cheese shop and cafe along the tourist main street of Hahndorf. They have cheese tasting too and the staff were friendly.

A long time fan, Alexandrina Cheese Co products have been gracing the shelves of my fridge for…read moreseveral years now. As a cheese-a-holic in South Australia their goods would be fortuitously hard to avoid! The magical dairy epicentre of happy, dancing cows is south of Adelaide on the way to Victor Harbour. As you pull into the driveway you are greeted by a stylised metallic cow sculpture, the mascot of the cheese factory. My favourite thing to do is sample all their lovely cheeses before I decide which ones are coming home with me. My favourites include the spiced gouda (with caraway seeds in it), the cheese curd (deliciously salty and reminds me of nursery rhymes and the Canadian dish of poutine) and the haloumi, YUM! There is some seating inside and out for devonshire teas and enjoying the serenity. A milkshake and slice of cheesecake deal seems to provide an excellent fix for dairy junkies at just $7. The double cream used on scomes is so thick, it's like trying to spread butter out of the fridge, but my goodness it is tasty and the afore mentioned milkshakes are great with malt and come served in those great retro silver milkshake cups - great novelty! The atmosphere can be a little cold, but it is a tea shop attached to a cheese factory after all, so sit infront of the big window that lets you watch the magic on the factory floor as it happens. Also note the locals who come by to pick up their daily milk! Ahh, rural joy.

I am really surprised that I did not review this place earlier. Wow, I have been stopping in the…read moreWoodside Cheese Wrights for a couple of years now. It is definitely one of the stops when I am showing people through the Adelaide Hills. Make sure you schedule a stop here if you are going on a wine tour. What I love about the cheese here is that they all taste quite unique. Why? Well a lot of them are made from goat and buffalo milk. There are some cow varieties, but Woodside really do love producing something different. They also like producing seasonal varieties. Be sure to ask what the current seasonal cheese is. They generally are rolled in different seasonings and herbs. Some are chevre. So creamy and light. I have three faves here. The ashed goats chevre, saltbush goat chevre, and triple cream brie. Some of their blues are lovely, but need to be eaten fast and fresh as they develop quickly into very strong flavours. But, if you like that sort of thing, leave it for a few days. The set up here is really welcoming and relaxing. There is a whole range of accompaniments available for you to buy that match with cheese or just general cooking. You can also purchase cheese knives and boards here (some signature ones as well). For groups you can also call ahead and ask for a cheese tasting or book a table in the back room. The staff here are very friendly and knowledgeable. You will enjoy sitting, relaxing and leaning about their methods.

Cheese is one of nature's perfect foods. Woodside chevre is the most delicious chevre I've ever…read moreeaten. The Monet was incredibly good and so was the saltbush and the chilli and herb coated chevres. I was a bit disappointed in the quality of the brie, and the goat's curd had such promise at the tasting table, but later, having got a tub and gone home, it wasn't nearly as good. The tasting room also has olives and condiments and wine, and the Corriole kalamata olives are fantastic. Staff were friendly and very talkative. Prices are a bit higher but you are paying for gourmet cheese, so there you go. Next door to Melba's, you can't miss this place and if you love cheese, give it a go!

This is the goto place for cheese & decent quality small goods in this area. It's a very small…read moreplace in the middle of a busy shopping centre unfortunately dwarfed by an evil 'Woolworths' banner (see pic). But don't let that fool you. They have very friendly & helpful staff (even at 6.30am when they are not even officially open). If your craving for some Italian or Austrian style meat (as I too often do) you can do much worse than these guys. Short of driving to the Adelaide Central Market this (and their larger outlet in Edwardstown - Castle Plaza) this is your best bet for anything cheese, leberwurst, prosciutto, schinkenwurst and other European style foods.

After tucking in to the delicious dairy delights on offer at The Cheesemonger you'll be flashing a…read morebig cheesey grin. Set between stores in the middle of the walkway at the very western end of Westfield Shopping centre, The Cheesemonger is 360 degrees of beautiful bree, charactered camembert, and elegant edam. There are some additional gourmet foods on offer to compliment your choice of cheese, but it's the fabulous fromage that is the star of this store. Staff are dutiful, and semi-knowledgeable about their produce. Prices are affordable and there are a wide selection of non-mainstream cheeses, which is why I get my Crottin de Chavignol from here.

Welcome to heaven! Loaded with wine, chocolate, essential gourmet pantry items and a massive…read morechilled cheese room, this place is a veritable feast of deliciousness. I was in Adelaide on business so wasn't in the market to buy any cheese, but regardless the cheesemonger here was happy to chat to me about cheeses, and even gave me a few samples of some of the more interesting ones available. The staff here were so lovely and willing to share knowledge (and samples!) or a number of their products. I tried a number of their italian vinegars and settled on a rather good bottle of balsamic to slip in my suitcase to take home. If I were having a dinner party or picnic in Adelaide, then I would absolutely make a stop here for a chunk of fromage, a bottle of wine and perhaps a little charcuterie. It would also be a great place to buy a gift for a food loving friend!

Wow! Just Wow! That is pretty much my review there. But, I should probably explain…read more I am just so stuck for words in finding such an amazing store. The part that really has me so excited is that they have their own refrigerated cheese store and display room. With it's own sliding door entry and exit. I would describe it as walking into the Magic Cave at Christmas for the first time. The smells, the excitement, the overall overwhelming sense of happiness. In fact, (and I could be wrong) but I think that this might be the only refrigerated cheese room in a speciality store in Adelaide. That means you have to check it out. This is a glowing cheesy heaven. I should also mention that Bottega Rotolo stocks diverse range other items as well. Oils, condiments, Italian wines and food speciality items. Please note that all of the items you will find in this store are top quality. I think that this store is a great place to shop for presents as well. You can purchase a wide range of balsamic vinegars, teas, chocolates, the list goes on and on. But, let's get back to the cheese room. The range in this display room is really and truly grand. They stock a lot of high grade cheeses to the affordable kind. So there is something to suit all budgets. The best part is that this store offers educational experiences about speciality food items and cheese. This would be a great idea for a work group to do something social and different. There are various samples for you to try as well to assist in making your decisions. Do not hesitate to speak to the lovely and knowledgeable staff. They are more than willing to help and a re very passionate about their produce. I insist that the people of Adelaide try this store. You will, like me, will want to move into the store and just indulge on everything!

I often ask myself: How does a shop that specialises in chilli/chile/chilli products survive in the…read moresuburbs of Adelaide? Well, it's simple. Awesome products, decent prices, and great service. I've been here a few times and every time I intend to pick up one chili sauce, but end up with a box or bag of hot and spicy goodness. The first thing that I love about this place is the floor to ceiling wall of hot sauces with names like "satan's rage", "ass reaper" and "brand new asshole". Chili fiend culture is hilarious, while also being quite exciting and sometimes scary (my mouth waters when I even look at a really really hot sauce). All of the hot sauces are rated out of 10 with most being in the 5-10 range, but something you'll notice is that there are 11/10 sauces, 100/10 and I think 1000/10. What!?! Who the hell buys these insane sauces? Satan himself, for something to wash his face with?!? Even a 10/10 will blow my head off and I love chili. The owner Joel (who could easily be a character in a Coen Brothers movie) explains that these sauces are for huge batches of "chilli" I guess he means con-carne or something. I swear, Joel must be the biggest chili fiend, because none of it seems to faze him and he seems like he would eat a few scorpion chilli's on his cheerio's in the morning. Chile Mojo also sell chili merch, chili plants, fertiliser and seeds; Mexican ingredients for your next taco night; American soft drinks and more. Check them out or even order online. Just be careful what you buy, and ask Joel for his recommendation. He might even test your chili tolerance to see what you can handle. Also, get his buffalo wing recipe and Frank's sauce. You will not be disappointed... unless you don't like chili, in which case you should start on a 3/10 sauce and work up your tolerance, you wuss! Haha.

So, I am not one of those typical macho chilli fiends that are out there. You know the ones…read more Doesn't everyone have one friend who thinks they can out chilli everyone? They eat a super hot bum burning chilli sauce on everything, sweat it out and skull a glass of milk afterwards. No sir, not for me. However, I do love chilli. I love enough chilli to still enjoy flavour. My partner is a chilli fiend and demands access to a good selection of sauces at home. I also am going through a buffalo wings stage; This brings me to Chile Mojo. Chilli fiends are like a moth to a flame for this store. It is truly amazing. I have never seen such an awesome selection of sauces, spices, jams, salsas, chilli merch, etc, etc.. The best part about this store is the amazing storeowner. He is so passionate about his store and spreading the chilli love. Last time I went into this store I was looking for a authentic buffalo wing chilli sauce. I got into an in-depth conversation with the storeowner about the best sauce to choose and how to cook the best wings. Then he said, "in fact, I have an amazing authentic southern buffalo wing recipe I can share with you". What? Giving your recipe secrets away? No, he doesn't mind. He just loves his customers that much! He pointed me to Franks Hot Sauce, printed out the recipe and told me to enjoy. And boy did I ever! This buffalo wings recipe kicks butt! This store is such a gem, and I love to support stores like this that care so much about what they are sharing with the community. So next time you are thinking about buying anything to do with chilli, Mexican or spices; skip to supermarket and go to Chile Mojo!