As the title suggests I will bring in some cheese from the UK next month and would like some recommendations on how to pack it .

Vacuum packed ?, polystyrene ( styrofoam) box ? , should I freeze it ? ( probably not a good idea or necessary ) etc.

 

Thanks in advance

I always take it vaccum packed, if it gets too warm it will be liquid and i don't want it in my suitcase. If you freeze it you will have condensation water in your suitcase, and it won't last the whole way anyway

If it get's warm for a while that's no big deal. It might look a bit strange after this (and maybe some of the fat is then outside of the cheese (it's fat reduced then ), but taste wise i never had a problem with it.

I have brought various aged Cheddar cheese from the US on numerous occasions.  What has worked (and was recommended by  a deli owner friend of mine) exceptionally well is right before you close up your suitcase pull them out of the refrigerator and wrap in either butcher paper or newspaper  tight.  Then pack in your suitcase. Do not carry on. The reason being in your checked luggage it is stowed where temperatures is much much lower then the cabin.  

 

Every time  I have picked up my luggage at claims and got home the cheese was still very cold.  

 

 

I usually bring about 10 packs of 200 gram (slices, vacuum packed) from the supermarket in Schiphol airport.  It stays cold enough and stays good in my fridge for 3 months afterwards, no problem.  If you want to make extra sure you could wrap some thermal bag around it.

I had a soft sided small 'coolbox' and packed it with some of those ice substitute blue plastic blocks you pre-freeze. You have to worry if your bag might be left in the sun on the tarmac in Dubai or other ME transit, but for direct flights it will spend most of the time cool at 35,000 ft.

I just pack it straight from the supermarket in the UK in its vacuum pack and it always stays cool until I arrive in Thailand, no ill effects. I usually transit in the Middle East but often its the same plane for the onward journey so it always stays cool in the hold.

Don't forget to bring some Branston Pickle.

 

6 minutes ago, faraday said:

Don't forget to bring some Branston Pickle.

 

Good suggestion, although obtainable here, like cheese it is wickedly expensive.

23 minutes ago, faraday said:

Don't forget to bring some Branston Pickle.

 

I bought some Branston pickle in Macro.  UK friends stunned that I got it here!!!

^ At Schiphol airport the best place to buy is in duty free. That way it is not included in the weight of your luggage or carry on. I have a friend who brings tens of kilos that way every trip. All in bags from duty free.

 

 

Branston pickle is easy. Even on Sukhumvit 71, sub soi 2 next to Rovers Bar.

Brought same some aged Parmesan from the US. Vacuum packed and put in a freezer bag with some ice packs, along with frozen steaks and some maple cured bacon. Checked bag so in the cargo hold at probably less than 10C for most of the trip. Everything was in great shape when i got home. Don't freeze the cheese though just keep it cold. The key is to pack the bag tight so everything acts as it's own ice pack.

My Italian Cheese guys frowns upon keeping the Parmesan vacuum packed, since it doesn't allow the cheese to age naturally - but he's a perfectionist.

Why bother when there is a perfectly good cheese shop within Central Hall Bangkok.

Anything from fine Cheddar to Stilton etc. 

I brought some Mature Cheddar from UK some years ago for a friend and as suggested above, kept it in my fridge until leaving, then wrapped it, (still in its original packing) in silver foil, then in a plastic bag, then then packed it in my checked baggage. 

Arrived intact and reportedly was delicious.

 

By the way, I did exactly the same with some bars of chocolate.

1 minute ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

Why bother when there is a perfectly good cheese shop within Central Hall Bangkok.

Anything from fine Cheddar to Stilton etc. 

Apparently, it is (or was at the time) much more expensive in Thailand.

I have a mate bring it up from AUS he freezes it then wraps it in bubble wrap

Once it arrived still hard it thaws out fine just plain old Coles farmhouse cheddar

What the hell do you want to bring cheese into Thailand for--------- The best cheese in the world is Mainland cheese from New Zealand and available from Big C, Makro, everywhere and not expensive

Just now, biplanebluey said:

What the hell do you want to bring cheese into Thailand for--------- The best cheese in the world is Mainland cheese from New Zealand and available from Big C, Makro, everywhere and not expensive

$6 a kg in Coles that's why

 

Just now, pest said:

$6 a kg in Coles that's why

 

https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-national/product/coles-smart-buy-tasty-cheddar-cheese-block

1 minute ago, biplanebluey said:

What the hell do you want to bring cheese into Thailand for--------- The best cheese in the world is Mainland cheese from New Zealand and available from Big C, Makro, everywhere and not expensive

Some excellent cheese from the South Island yes, but sure expensive.....

And weird: the vintage cheese sells at about the same price as the very young rubbery stuff.

If I recall correctly, it is about 800 bath, 20 euro per kilo?

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, biplanebluey said:

What the hell do you want to bring cheese into Thailand for--------- The best cheese in the world is Mainland cheese from New Zealand and available from Big C, Makro, everywhere and not expensive

Not seen that, i did buy some mature cheddar in Lotus one time, it was expensive and the only other option was Edam (no thanks !).

England has a great variety of cheeses , all very cheap.

 

Wensleydale springs instantly to mind.

59 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

^ At Schiphol airport the best place to buy is in duty free. That way it is not included in the weight of your luggage or carry on. I have a friend who brings tens of kilos that way every trip. All in bags from duty free.

 

 

Branston pickle is easy. Even on Sukhumvit 71, sub soi 2 next to Rovers Bar.

Coming thru Doha this time so not an option.

 

I love cheese but i think tens of kilos might be a bit much even for me !

30 minutes ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

Why bother when there is a perfectly good cheese shop within Central Hall Bangkok.

Anything from fine Cheddar to Stilton etc. 

 

Because I don't live in BKK !!

The king of cheddar.  Readily available in Thailand.

 

 

31 minutes ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

Why bother when there is a perfectly good cheese shop within Central Hall Bangkok.

Anything from fine Cheddar to Stilton etc. 

It's no bother to chuck 3 or 4 packs into my suitcase.

I'm not in Bangkok and i'm sure it will be a lot cheaper in the uk !

Freezing and in checked bags is ok for a hard cheese! Anything better than paying crazy prices for cheese in Thailand which has 100% import tariff , protecting Thai Cheese producers? Haha

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

Just pack in newspaper & pack in your check in baggage. Do not freeze cheese.

The planes hold is pressurized but not heated so keeps really cold anyway.

Just remember that you are breaking the law bringing in any undeclared foodstuffs

although they don't seem to care or check

 

1 hour ago, Nurseynutcase said:

I bought some Branston pickle in Macro.  UK friends stunned that I got it here!!!

There are Macros and Macros, busiest and best on Samui, Nakon Phanom and Sakon Phanom not quite so adventurous, but then it's a business and they have to stock what sells.

25 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Some excellent cheese from the South Island yes, but sure expensive.....

And weird: the vintage cheese sells at about the same price as the very young rubbery stuff.

If I recall correctly, it is about 800 bath, 20 euro per kilo?

 

 

 

Depends where you buy it. The cheapest I've found it in Hua Hin is 680 Baht a kilo. So that's about £15 a kilo or approx 50% more than a 'name brand' mature cheddar cheese at a UK Tesco supermarket. Admittedly, you can get the cheapest Tesco own brand cheddar for £6 a kilo but I don't think it's as good as the Vintage Mainland cheddar.

i freeze cheese and butter, all contained within a big shoe box, and pack any gaps with newspaper.  then parcel tape the lid shut and into my suitcase.  as the box ends up weighing a few kg's, everything is kept cold until i get to my home in hua hin. 

 

Lurpak Butter about 20 quid a kilo here - but 6 quid back home, so worth the effort.

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I had a soft sided small 'coolbox' and packed it with some of those ice substitute blue plastic blocks you pre-freeze. You have to worry if your bag might be left in the sun on the tarmac in Dubai or other ME transit, but for direct flights it will spend most of the time cool at 35,000 ft.

This is how I do it from the states