Acclaimed Nordic chef Trina Hahnemann, author of the recently released and much touted Nordic Diet cookbook , was flown in especially for the occasion with a whole host of recipes proving that ‘healthy’ Scandinavian cooking needn’t go without a bit (or indeed a whole lot) of cheese. If we’re being completely accurate, Trina is actually Danish not Norwegian, but I guess Scandinavian celebrity chefs aren’t exactly two-to-a-penny, so getting a Dane to South Kensington was still an achievement.

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A long and lazy Scandinavian lunch was on the horizon, but first it had to be prepared. We all mucked in helping as Trina prepared dish after dish for the ensuing feast. If this event was supposed to convert us all to the delights of Jarlsberg, I felt somewhat illegitimate in being a self-acclaimed fan already, but the cookery demonstrations justified my visit as, even with family connections to Norway’s Vestfold County from where Jarlsberg originates, I had always thought of Jarlsberg as an eating cheese rather than one to cook with.

Jarlsberg’s melting properties are in fact almost identical to cheddar, it was revealed, and many Norwegians would use it in cheese sauces, or melted on toast - recipes us Brits wouldn’t think of using anything but cheddar for. Being just told this wasn’t going to convince anyone, though – we needed proof, and that was why Trina was here.

First Trina prepared an indulgent Jarlsberg bread made with whole milk and eggs along with lashings of grated Jarlsberg – a testament to the fact that the Scandinavian diet renowned for its healthiness isn’t afraid of carbohydrates or fat. A fascinating rye pizza followed, with the rye flour base and potato, bacon and Jarlsberg topping uniting in comfort-food heaven. A raw kale salad was slightly more virtuous but surprisingly delicious combined with apple, walnuts and (how did you guess) Jarlsberg...

So, cooking done and appetites suitably whetted, it was time for lunch. Hosts Madsen made sure everything ran smoothly, laying on their usual Scandinavian hospitality as well as a selection of hand-crafted beers and ales from Denmark as if to show there really is life beyond Carlsberg. The Norwegian in me questioned the origin, but if you’ve ever seen the unprecedentedly high price of alcohol in Norway, it makes sense really – and I’m not sure how far from lager Norwegian brewers stray.

Stuffed to the brim with Jarlsberg bread, Jarlsberg pizza, Jarlsberg salad and a whole lot more, and we’re still not quite cheesed out - which shows just how versatile and easy-to-eat Jarlsberg is. There’s even room for a few of the brand new Jarlsberg minis which are destined to give Babybel a run for their money. Good luck to them – Norway could do with a bit of representation on the food scene - and I’m going to be getting some to make that bread...