At The Bar with Cheese Punks The Studd Siblings

With a shared love and passion for cheese, it made sense siblings Ellie and Sam Studd would start a business together. Theirs was a childhood spent traipsing through artisan farmhouses in Europe alongside their cheese passionate father Will Studd that piqued their interest early; and the rest is a palette curiosity that’s ever evolving.

These fromage experts pair cheese in ways only cheesemongers can, and share their tips with us at The Write Drop.

They have just collaborated with Mary’s on The Punk Roquer burger in Sydney– riffing on the creamiest addition to a classic fare that brings French grit to a punk staple.

The burger features one of the world’s oldest cheeses and one of the few blues that is still made from raw milk. It was also famously banned and then overturned by The Food Standards Australia New Zealand, through Will Studd’s fight.

 

Working together in a family business means life is never boring for this dynamic duo.

“It works because there’s unfiltered honest communication, sibling humour and therapy rolled in one,” says Sam and Ellie Studd.

They sing the praises of a new cheese discovery like Section 28’s Mont Priscilla – think buttery Australian crowd pleaser, but when champagne calls, it’s all about the Brillat Savarin.

MY CITY

SAM: I’ve been living in Northern Rivers for about eight or nine years. I often refer to it as my New York rehab. It’s got pretty much everything I need to make me happy—good surf, great locally grown produce, ripper fishing, and just enough people left-of-centre to keep life interesting.

ELLIE: Melbourne. She enchants me with good coffee, fabulous restaurants and charming wine bars.  I love that I can ride everywhere on my bike, that I can tap into art, music and creative events at my finger tips and wear what I want, with nobody blinking twice. I even embrace feeling the four seasons vividly here- I find it grounding and connecting.

FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY

SAM: Honestly, I feel like food for me is like a modern-day church, and I’m a regular in attendance, so it’s hard to pick one place of worship. But off the top of my head, it’s not a restaurant in the traditional sense—it was a street stall in Delhi that I visited this year, and it only served Ram Ladoo, basically a combination of moong dal, channa dal, and urad dal with some grated ginger and green chilies. I still wake up thinking about it.

ELLIE: Sitting in roadside restaurant in Apuli, Italy with my 1 year old and my partner looking out onto the green ocean. The  wee Stella sucked on a little scampi claw, the clam orecchiette was cooked to perfection, we shared half a bottle of white wine, and mopped up all the juices with the crunchy bread came in a little plastic basket. I passed on the sea urchin speciality, but enjoyed watching the locals suck on a pile of them like lollipops.

FAVOURITE BAR

SAM: You Beauty in Bangers (Bangalow) is my go-to. Good mix of Australiana and fun staff, as well as good pub grub. Honestly, sitting at the bar and having one off the wood is always good here. They’re always rotating their beers with some local favorites. Just ask the staff what they recommend and go with that.

ELLIE: Negroni. Napier quarter. Hits all the right spots in just one sip.

DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU

SAM: Ooft, I think this is a really personal question, and I’ve probably put too much thought into it. I’d like to think of myself as a draft beer—easygoing, refreshing, dependable, a good go-to without too much thought behind it. But if I’m honest, this question has thrown me, and my answer is probably full of shit.

ELLIE: Spicy Marg: Adventurous, free spirit, deep appreciation for fun times, not boring.

BEST HANGOVER CURE

 SAM: A swim in the ocean with friends, followed by a slutty burger and a stiff Bloody Mary – or go the complete opposite and hit the pavement for a run.

ELLIE: Halloumi, hydrolyte + Panadol and swim in a cold body of water (if available)

BEST INTERSTATE BAR

SAM: Monty’s in Melbourne – It’s unpretentious and an old haunt of mine. Think recycled church pews, deep booths, and turntables and friendly bar staff. Nothing flashy, but good drinks and great banter. I think I like it because it’s not trying to be something it’s not. I always start with a Negroni and finish with a Fernet, neat.

ELLIE: Continental Deli Bar Bistro in Sydney – consistently good European eatery, adorable cosy AF atmosphere, cocktails and flan in a can.

OVERSEAS BAR

SAM: Chambre Noire in Paris. Good natural wine, small plates, amazing atmosphere. Don’t bother looking at the menu—just tell them what you are into and you’re thirsty, and they’ll sort you out.

ELLIE: Please Don’t Tell- NYC

FAVOURITE WINE

SAM: I picked up a bottle of Matassa / Tom Lubbe the other week, which I drank with some friends while we smashed some pipis. I honestly had never heard of it before, but it was tasting great and has a cool backstory. If you haven’t read about it or tried it, I would recommend it.

ELLIE: Patrick Sullivan- Haggis. Juicy, playful and totally smashable.

FAVOURITE WINERY

SAM: Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I went to a winery, so I can’t really answer that question. I spend a lot of time at dairies, so if you asked me about that, I could give you a long list ! That being said, I get to hear all the cool stories from my mate Russ, who runs Luna, and of course Mike Bennie. I enjoy nothing more than sitting down with those two and swapping cheese and wine stories.

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