What is a Fondue?

Fondue Caquelon

A Fondue Caquelon is the classic cooking pot in which the Fondue mixture is melted. Many shapes and sizes are available and it can be made of stoneware, ceramic, enamelled cast iron, or porcelain. Stoneware Fondue pots are the classic ones but they cannot be used on an induction hob! Stoneware Fondue pots have to be handled with care due to the heat, whereas the other types, e.g. ceramic can be treated just like any other pan.

Fondue Forks

Given that Fondue is served in the Fondue Caquelon and is placed in the middle of a table, allowing everybody to reach the pot, longer forks are needed! Additionally the forks have 2 or 3  prongs than normal eating forks. This allows diners to stick bread onto the fork much more easily than with a normal fork.

Fondue Bread

Fondue bread should be quite firm. We recommend using bread which is a day old and is therefore a bit harder. If the bread is too soft and fluffy it will just go very soggy and disappear into the melted cheese! And this has serious consequences…see above!

To find Fondue-suitable bread can be quite a task! We can highly recommend our preferred source for Fondue bread in Kineton, at the Corner Cottage Bakery or in  Hornton, at the Hornton Grounds Farm shop (which by the way offers a fantastic selection of beef, lamb and pork meat). Our

Please find here a few suggestions what goes well with Fondue too.

Kirsch

Swiss Kirsch from the north/central part of Switzerland is the ideal accompinament to a Cheese Fondue. A few drops of Kirsch are usually added to the mixture during the melting process and Kirsch is included in a readymade Fondues too. Kirsch is made from distilling cherries. There is usually a taste of cherries and alcohol volumes can range from 38% to 40% or even more! Hint: Try dipping your piece of bread into Kirsch before you dip it into the melted cheese! A unique taste results! Alternatively, just take a small sip of Kirsch every now and again during your fondue meal – not only does it taste good, it aids digestion!

Wine for Fondue

A good, dry white wine works best with fondue. White wine is included in the Fondue mixture and the Swiss always recommend drinking white wine to accompany Fondue. The best Swiss wine to enjoy with a Fondue is Fendant, which is available in the UK. Otherwise, a Chablis or even a good Riesling would fit well too. Sauvignon Blanc or any other white wine which is high in acidity is a safe bet. What about red wine? We cannot recommend serving red wine together with a cheese Fondue.

Herbs

Nutmeg, pepper and paprika all go very well with cheese Fondue. Do not add any additional salt. Italian or French herbs can be added depending on your preferences.

What goes well with Fondue?

A traditional Swiss Fondue meal usualy consists of a cheese mix together with junks of bread for dipping.

A note about Alcohol

Due to current strict legal regulations regarding selling alcohol, even in small quantities, we regret of not being able to offer Swiss Kirsch and Swiss wine at this point in time. We will reconsider this situation at a later stage.

For the full Swiss experience, we recommend the following alcoholic drinks to accompany your Fondue; Swiss white wine, eg. Fendant, Fechy or Kirsch.