I’ve been tasked with putting together a cheese board for after Christmas dinner and am looking for some ideas. I’d like a good mixture of cheese, with a couple of more unusual ones to try along with some chutneys and biscuits/crackers. What are your favourites?

Any of these are very good. http://northumberlandcheese.co.uk

And this is superb.

Some good ideas on the last episode of peep show.

Two interesting British cheeses that are well worth seeking out;
http://www.hampshirecheeses.co.uk/tunworth-cheese.asp

and

http://www.cropwellbishopstilton.com/our-cheese/beauvale.aspx

Hungry now.

I’m sure it will be mocked by the cheese artisans of STW but I love Sainsburys Applewood Smoked Cheddar.

Anything blue is great for me. The bluer the better.

Although Dolcelatte is a favorite.

https://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk

Take plenty of money, come out with loads of awesome cheese

Cheesy, if you’re in town, try here instead;

Home

Cheaper. Better.

Used to be my LCS.

I should not have opened this thread. Now I want some cheese.

Can I report this thread to the mods to get it removed?

Davidstow Cornish crackles – aldi do a mature cheddar that is similar

Could easily munch a packet without any pickles or crackers etc…

Drop me a line at ben . martin @ carronlodge.com. I’m the Technical Manager for one of the UK’s biggest cheese wholesalers. One of things I do is put cheeseboards together for independent retailers, farm shops etc. (we supply some of the shops listed). I should be able to put some ideas together for you and a list of local places to buy from. We stock about 2500 products and import from all over Europe as well as British produce. We started out as a dairy farm and we still make cheese ourselves and we’ve won a few awards for the cheeses I’ve helped design. Our new website is almost up and running but there are a few alterations to make yet. You could even like our Facebook page if you find the info that I’ve given you useful!

My personal favourite by the way is Quickes Vintage Cheddar 🙂

Carronlodge.com

One hard, one soft, one blue.

Said the actress to the bishop…

Stichelton (Stilton, but from unpasteurised milk)
Sharpham
Wyfe of Bath

one hard one soft one blue one other (chilli) – keeps everyone happy.
http://www.stamfordcheese.com/red-leicester-cheese/

chutneys and biscuits? you might want another thread

From earlier travels around Europe I reckon my favourites would have to be a good Manchego and a nice mature Comte.

Both good eating cheeses that you don’t have to hold your nose for and pretend they are delicious 🙂

Very third world problem !

Don’t forget to mix it up with the animal of origin too…

Cheddar from here http://www.cheddargorgecheeseco.co.uk/ shipped some to my brother in France a few year back for Christmas still raves about it got some for my cheese board this year.

I’m a fan of Cobblers Nibble

A nice Epoisses – Strong, soft, pungent, very savoury – delicious.

A good strong Cheddar – Black Bomber form the Snowdonia Cheese Company is one of my favourites.

Where abouts are you? You may be surprised at the number of local cheese makers near you (depending where you live) you could go local only for a bit of novelty value.

Waitrose sheep’s milk gouda.

Zamarano.

The scarcity of decent non-cow cheese is a source of constant anguish.

Those generic, ubiquitous, ‘chevre logs’ are just insulting.

+1 Neals Yard, always a pleasure to visit and taste and walk away a few quid worse off

Although will be giving Rippons a visit next time I’m nearby and also will be in touch with Benji.

The scarcity of decent non-cow cheese is a source of constant anguish.

My last visit to NYD saw me leave with some Quickes, as recommended above, some Stichelton, which i got very little of because my wife and kids eat it like it was supermarket stuff – and some Spenwood which is a hard pressed sheeps milk cheese from the same people who make Wigmore. That’s the joy of going to NYD (or a proper cheesemonger) – I went in wanting a cheddar, a blue and ‘something else’ and tasted loads and settled on what was good. I’d never have gone in looking for Spenwood, my knowledge isn’t that good.

Also another joy of ‘proper’ cheeses, is like wine or to an extent beer, the quality and flavour can be variable depending on how good the grass that the cows have been eating is, etc. While you can get some very tasty supermarket cheeses, most of them are specifically homogenised to make sure they’re pretty much always the same. That doesn’t make them right or wrong – just different to a hand produced single origin that IMHO have more depth of flavour and subtlety than their big cousins.

I particularly like Swaledale cheeses – cows, goat or ewes, all brilliant.

Cornish Yarg is quite nice too.

For something a little stronger, Keens Cheddar.

If you want some soft cheeses, Yorkshire Blue is nice as is Capricorn goats cheese.

Do you not have a local cheese shop? My local gives samples so you can try out stuff, and are always happy to provide advice. (http://thecheeseshoplouth.co.uk/ if you happen to live anywhere near)

Forme d’Ambert – a blue cheese not too strong
Saint-Marcelin or Saint Felician, proper cheeses which you serve with a spoon once it’s been out of the fridge for a bit (the little terracotta bowls they come in make great dishes for olives too)
Epoisse as suggested above I like, can be too strong for some tastes

Sides – I like onion jam and a fig chutney, carrs water biscuits and Duchy oatcakes (plain)

I would suggest not overbuying as post lunch people will be fairly full. Half bottle of French sweet wine – Sauternes or a Barsac ? Match with Roquefort is heaven. Or a Port or Red wine.

Blacksticks Blue is a British cheese made in Preston Lancashire.
Very moorish.

I popped into The Courtyard Dairy near Settle at the weekend. Great little place brimming with cheeses and they offer tasting slithers. I have absolutely no idea what I bought in the end but it tasted great. It’s worth a visit (although they do mail order too including variety packs). I also noticed a wine shop next door also offering tasting but didn’t partake this time.
The Courtyard Dairy

Munster from Alsace FTW surely? Admittedly you’d have to keep it outside, but it’s one of those odd stinky cheeses that tastes amazing!

At a recent cheese and wine evening where we had 40+ styles from around the country we reckoned the best on offer was the Doddington Berwick Edge. It’s in the style of a mature Gouda.

http://www.doddingtoncheese.co.uk/buyonline/gouda_style_cheese/berwick_edge

And don’t try to be too clever with the cheese board – don’t ram it full of weird and exotic cheeses that only cheese fans will want, also get some safe options such as Wensleydale, Cheddar and even novelty ones with cranberries etc in.

You want everyone to dive in and enjoy them.

Cheshire.

even novelty ones with cranberries etc in.

Yeah hopefully someone will go for this and leave you more proper cheese to eat.

A nice Epoisses – Strong, soft, pungent, very savoury – delicious.

This is one of the most rancid things I’ve ever come across. Most people I know who like strong cheese love it though, including my wife.

Comte for me too, it’s very good.

Try and find scorpion cheese if you want a chilli cheese with a kick, I buy it every time I go through Chester on the market. It’s lethal.

Another vote for Manchego here too.
You can go to a posh shop but in fairness the Asda or the Tesco’s ones are bloody good.
Slightly different from each other as well – the Asda one is longer matured and closer in texture to a Regiano where the Tesco is creamier (not by much though).
You want a good Mojo Verde and Rojo to go with them though – not chutney although the Lyme Bay Winery Jack Rat is a bloody good one.

If you’ve ever wondered how you get triangles from a cow,
you need buttermilk and cheese and AN EQUILATERAL CHAINSAW!!!!!

(C) Half Man Half Biscuit