Bringing home the cheese?
 

Folks,

A question on security, for those in the know.

I'm flying into London this week with EZY, and my good lady has asked if I can bring back some Harrods Stilton. But I will not be checking in any hold luggage.

So, does stilton (sealed in a porcelain bottle) constitute a 'liquid' in the security sense of the word? Can I carry it into the cabin?

The Easyjet guidance doesn't mention this type of product...

Thanks for your help!

Ordinary cheese including Stilton from less exalted purveyors of provisions wrapped in factory-origin shrink wrap seems to generate no interest. Of course it helps to keep it cold.

Seems to me if bringing ice, which is solid water, on board is OK, then bringing cheese, which is solid milk, should be OK, too, no? ;)

Pal flying Nice to Manchester had his French!! cheese confiscated at Nice because it was deemed liquid. I suppose he could have (with hindsight) broken it up into c100ml pieces and put it in his see through bag.
Solution may be to freeze it - it does alter slightly the structure of some cheeses- but in my experience they allow almost any food through provided it’s frozen.
I’ve done it many times.

But is the cheese not for you to eat aboard? I think you might have the answer in your own hands....

I have certainly imported cheese to the UK from the Netherlands and security at Schiphol didn't have a problem with it.

Thanks folks...so I should be good to earn some brownie points!

Mark, Ice is forbidden at many airports. I recall a thread relating that at Heathrow is was often possible to get 'replacement' ice from airside restaurants because security had refused it. Some medical supplies or body bits required the ice.

Can't really help you with the security question, but I would suggest you buy a proper wedge of Stilton. The product that goes into the jars has to be minced into a paste, and is not of the same quality as a portion cut from a whole wheel.

Wowzz...

I would agree with you, but in this case Mrs NWSRG wants the container for future display in the kitchen! :ok:

Could the container not be bought on Ebay, Etsy or Amazon?

Or you could tell Mrs NWSRG that you had it confiscated at security.

What a dangerous life you lead ExXB, then encouraging others to follow you down the path to hell. :eek:

Butter is a definate no no. Good luck with the cheese.

PS I prefer the Stilton in a jar, no rind. Always reminds me of childhood Christmas'.

There speaks the voice of experience? 😀

Cheese is OK, icepacks aren't neither are wet or dry ice.

I regularly fly home to the UK from GVA with several kilos of ready to heat fondue, which is somewhere between solid and liquid. It occasionally gets inspected at outgoing security, but never confiscated.

There's a Harrods food store airside at LHR. Not sure if you are flying that route. Stilton would be the sort of thing they sell. All the small delicacies. Anything bought airside is allowed.

Edit: Just noticed you're flying EZY so obviously not via LHR. Bummer.

No surprise there. Wonder what security at Doha, or AUH, would say ...

There are also Harrods Stores in both North & South Terminals at LGW too. Both airside and include a Food Hall. Not sure if the item required is available however. But it is possible..

Might it not be possible to phone ahead and have some stocked for you to collect? After all if they deliver to Buck House, LGW should be a doddle.

And there's also the M&S food outlets landside ... so perhaps chance your arm?

Thanks everyone...

So to update, the cheese was safely allowed through security (I thought I was going to have it confiscated...the precious jar had cracked, and the smell was serious! But no, it was allowed through...perhaps because of the smell

On the Harrods airside option, they haven't stocked said cheese for some time...it used to be an option, but there's no chilled foods available now.

Saying all that, we have now discovered Fortnum & Mason online...Mrs NWSRG is happy with that! (Shopping way above our means, but sure, it's Christmas

Don't know about UK, but apparently it's OK in the US, of all places. The rationale I heard is that if the liquid freezes, then it can't be an explosive, and others piped in to back that up.

I often take cheese through LGW Security, but I advise you place it in a security tray on it’s own and not leave it in your trolley bag. Cheese (especially Cheddar and Red Leicestershire) shows up on their Xray screen as a solid mass and arouses suspicion i.e. same picture as explosives!

Make sure it's wrapper is visible and have the receipt handy.

Came back to Singapore through LHR T2 in September with a small cool bag from M&S stuffed with a variety of their cheeses (how I miss their food halls!) stashed in my carry on bag, did not raise any interest at security at all.

Examples mentioned above sound like nitpicking security personal making up the rules as they go.