Highland Fine Cheeses is adding a touch of cheeky luxury to festive cheeseboards this year with the announcement of Ooh La La, a bright lactic cow’s milk cheese inspired by the classic French Saint-Félicien style.

Developed over the course of more than two years by second-generation cheesemaker Rory Stone at the Tain creamery, Ooh La La is enriched with an extra splash of cream and designed with a texture that is famously described as being “silkier than French knickers.”

Ooh La La offers a luxurious, melty texture. Produced using a gentle lactic cheesemaking process and slow coagulation, the vegetarian cheese features a delicate natural geotrichum rind. The curds are meticulously hand-ladled into moulds in skinny layers to preserve moisture, creating a tenderness that becomes voluptuously spoon-able as it ripens.

Its complex flavour profile means Ooh La La has a fresh, expressive yeastiness from the ripening rooms alongside notes of fresh cream and cultured butter. The rind imparts subtle mushroom and cellar characters, complemented by distinctive notes of banana, pear drops, and a clean, elegant lactic tang.

Even before its official commercial release, the cheese picked up Best Scottish Cheese and Best Soft White Rind Cheese at the British & Irish Cheese Awards 2026, alongside a Gold medal. Following six months of further refinement, it is now ready for nationwide UK distribution just in time for Christmas.

A playful take on a French classic

Commenting on the festive release, head cheesemaker Rory Stone said: “We are very excited to be releasing a new cheese for Christmas, but the truth is that all I have ever done is plagiarise. Ooh La La is an entire rip off of the French delicacy, Saint-Félicien – one of those heavenly gooey, unctuous styles that some would say provide the casomorphins that make cheese addictive.”

Stone added that the labour-intensive production—requiring delicate hand-ladling and precise environmental controls — is “not one for automation,” with the name itself drawing on lighthearted, nostalgic comedy:

“The name is derived quite simply from my infantile humour, it’s a little Inspector Clouseau with some ‘Allo ‘Allo! thrown in, rounding off my unoriginal concept with a previous century’s slapstick.”

At peak maturity, Ooh La La’s mild rounded flavour deepens into a more complex treat, making it a standout centrepiece for Christmas cheeseboards across the UK.