At Seaforth’s La Boîte à Fromages, the divine selection of artisan cheeses make it easy to forget you’re in Sydney! And they’re turning them into must-try toasties…
On the corner of Burnt Street in Seaforth, a toastie worth knowing about is quietly being pressed. Set beside a small community garden, with a striped awning and a handful of petite tables tucked into the greenery, La Boîte à Fromages feels like a little slice of Europe right here on the Beaches.
If the smell of melted cheese and the sizzle of a three cheese toastie hitting the press isn’t enough to lure you in, perhaps owner Aurore will, with her warm smile and unmistakable passion and knowledge for exceptional cheese.
A Fromagerie with Twelve Years of Northern Beaches History
Aurore and her business partner Tom started La Boîte à Fromages in 2012 at Frenchs Forest Organic Market. They had one clear intention: to share artisanal and farmhouse cheeses from Australia and around the globe. What began as a single market stall has grown into six Sydney markets and a charming Seaforth flagship.
Inside, the shop is cosy in a way that feels unmistakably French, with Le Creuset crockery dotted throughout, bifold windows opening directly onto the garden and petit tables where people savour some of life’s little pleasures.
Inside, a fridge filled with proudly curated cheeses invites curiosity. In the kitchen you’ll find one of the hardest working members of the team – a Breville press permanently committed to the cause of melting cheese.
The Toastie Setting a New Standard on the Northern Beaches
Aurore’s favourite toastie is the simple three cheese, which is the one we choose to try on our visit.
“It’s three carefully selected cheeses working in balance,” says Aurore. “Our Cheese Toastie is a gooey, flavour-packed delight, made with a three-cheese blend of Comte, Swiss Gruyere and Emmenal, creamy béchamel, Dijon mustard, all toasted on Brickfield’s sourdough.”
It arrives golden and crisp, with a complex, well layered flavour profile and a satisfying crunch. A subtle thread of nutmeg runs through the cheese along with a gentle touch of mustard. The flavours work incredibly well together.
You can also opt to add extra favourites like ham, prosciutto, truffle paste, onion or tomato relish.
The mushroom melt, at $17, is another option on the menu that sounds divine. Mushrooms, truffle paste, and taleggio come together in a richer, more indulgent combination, offering something more substantial.
Raclette, Cheese Boxes, and the Full Fromage Experience
If you’re ready to further expand your cheese horizons, raclette might take your fancy. It has recently joined the Seaforth menu exclusively on Saturdays, a natural next step for a store that has always been about the full cheese experience.
“Melted over potatoes and served with charcuterie and cornichons, Raclette cheese is the ultimate winter treat to share with family and friends. Our French Raclette cheese is cut to order and prepared with all accompaniments, neatly packed in a catering tray.”
You can also order a French raclette set with a free machine rental and a sélection that includes Bay of Fires cheddar, Brilliant Savarin, and Holy Goat La Luna Ring.
Beyond that, cheese and charcuterie boxes, cheesemonger selection boxes, and a simple click and collect system make it easy to bring the La Boîte à Fromages experience home, for a dinner party, a gift, or simply a better Thursday night than usual.
Aurore Knows Cheese Like a Language
Aurore may have a favourite toastie, but ask her to name a favourite cheese and the answer comes back without a moment’s pause: there isn’t one. Picking a favourite, she’ll tell you, would be like picking a favourite child, and she’s far too fond of all of them for that. Each one has its season, its mood, its moment.
What she will do is ask customer’s the right questions to pair them with the correct cheese.
“I ask what they are celebrating and what they are drinking to understand their palate and find something they are really going to enjoy,” she shares.
It’s less a transaction and more a conversation, the kind that leaves you with something unexpected and a slightly more curious palate than you arrived with.
A Northern Beaches Gem for Cheese Lovers
Aurore and Tom have always believed that cheese is “more than just food – it’s an experience.” Their passion runs throughout the whole space at La Boîte à Fromages, from the way the cheeses are selected and displayed to the way customers are guided toward what best suits them.
That same approach carries through to the toasties. Simple in concept, but made with high quality, authentic ingredients and a real depth of flavour, they take something familiar and give it a little more presence.
But if you’re stopping by this delightful local gem for a quick toastie, be prepared that a few extra gourmet cheeses are likely to be going home with you as well.
Story by Evie Scully
La Boite A Fromages
📍 Unit 8/5-19 Burnt St, Seaforth. Also open on Fridays at the Beaches Markets.
🕒 Open Wednesday – Saturday 9am to 2pm. Open Fridays at the Beaches Markets from 8am – 1pm. See website for other market appearances and opening times.
🌐 https://www.laboiteafromages.com.au/
📞 0492 870 569
