Christmas Cheese?

Every Christmas we tend to have a little blowout on quality cheeses for the festive period. Sadly this year the local excellent cheese monger has shut up shop, and I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do

I have been casting around online but I’m wondering if there are some good retailers to go to. We really like goudas and gruyère type cheeses, along with traditional cheddars.

At the moment the Lidl Gouda is our regular buy, it’s ok but not amazing

What’s your favourite cheese supplier?

We are lucky enough to have the fantastic Courtyard Dairy just a few mins up the road (though we still usually get delivery anyway).

Courtyard Dairy do deliveries

They are absolutely excellent and will happily help you choose your cheeses over the phone

Reminds me to get my order in for two Lancashire Bomb’s from Shorrocks Cheese. Snowdonia Cheese are another favourite.

You’d be better getting a selection from M&S or the like. These cheesemongers you’re paying loads extra because its a ‘monger’

The benefits of M&S is 50% of it isnt made up of ‘authentic’ inedible rind

https://thecrumblycheese.co.uk/

One of Calderdale’s finest

I tend to buy a few individual cheese portions of preference, to flesh out your standard issue cheese selection box.

The problem with cheese selection boxes is they are all pretty generic and come with one or two boring generic cheeses that are just filler/surplus to requirement. Complanies who put cheddar and edam type cheeses into selection boxes, I’m looking at you!

Brie on a cracker with a smidge of black cherry conserve on top of it, is my current fave.

no idea yet, but i will be going to Bury market before xmas.

the cheese stall there is amazing.  Purdons is the name.

Do you have a department store with a food hall?

I use Fenwick’s in Newcastle or the local cheese shop in town, occasionally topped up with maybe M&S. M&S are far more expensive than a local shop as you can’t but the wight you’d like, I’ve never had a cheese with 50% inedible rind.

Knight to pawn 4

Also it has to be said, cheese is not just for christmas.

Every year, cheeses gets abondoned through no fault of their own.

Think before you buy a cheese!

Ordered plus some Snowdonia Cheese’s Chutney !

@Drac have you used The Cheese Shop Morpeth

Knight to pawn 4

Keep an eye on your Stinking Bishop

Blessed are the Cheesemakers.

Remember, cheese is for life, not just for Christmas.

Lovely people. Great cheese. The lucky dip box is great value.

https://cheese-etc.co.uk/cheese-etc-shop/cheese-gifts/

Last orders Sunday!

Also know the chap that runs this lot. https://mons-cheese.co.uk/ Really excellent but bit pricier as that there London

These cheesemongers you’re paying loads extra because its a ‘monger’

The cheese in my local cheesemonger is much nicer than anything I’ve ever had from M&S.

The cheese in my local cheesemonger is much nicer than anything I’ve ever had from M&S.

Same here, and you can buy the weight you want, from a small cheeky taster ‘slither’, right up to a ‘honking chungus’.

Complanies who put cheddar and edam type cheeses into selection boxes,

But cheddar is the best and only cheese you need

Have you tried Baron Bigod?

‘ow about some Knucker Hole for the family this Christmas..

Edit, ahem.. anyone know what actually happened to that venture?

A quality cheddar is the king of cheeses

You’d be better getting a selection from M&S or the like. These cheesemongers you’re paying loads extra because its a ‘monger’

The benefits of M&S is 50% of it isnt made up of ‘authentic’ inedible rind

Clearly not buying the right sort of cheese from the right sort of cheese seller. I normally just buy the oldest cheddar I can get easily, but there’s a farm shop just outside of town, Allington Farm Shop for anyone near Chippenham, and they do cheese from all over the country.

If it hasn’t been blown away over the weekend, I’ll be catching the bus down to Bath and checking out the cheese stalls at Bath Christmas Market, there’s usually several to choose from.
And I’ve never, ever had any cheese where there’s more than just a sliver of rind, many soft cheeses you just eat the whole damn thing!

But cheddar is the best and only cheese you need

That’s…. Just wrong. It’s a good daily driver though.

A quality cheddar is the king of cheeses

AND…that’s…. also WRONG! But, any self respecting household will already have a decent sized block of mature cheddar in the fridge, for sanwiches and whatnot..no need to buy it specially.

I would say extra mature for flavour, but it can be a bit too crumbly depending on your sensibilites.

All cheese is good, let’s get that straight right from the start.

But as a resident of North Yorkshire it has to be anything from the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes.

Now, I’m not normally a fan of cheese with other stuff in it… but Lidl have wasabi cheese in… I’ll let you know how it goes down at Christmas.

Interesting.. But is it actually Wasabi though… Or is it horseradish with green food colouring?

Outside of an actual cheesemonger, Waitrose usually have a good selection of stuff on their deli counter.

Wherever you get it from, make sure you get yourself some Poacher though…

“how much would you like”
“No no i mean the whole epoises please”

Is a conversation i have had more than once.

Mellis for the try everything and then spend an obscene amount win.

But, any self respecting household will already have a decent sized block of mature cheddar in the fridge

Cheddar in the fridge!! It needs to be room or at least garage/larder temperature for the flavour to come through. No wonder you don’t think cheddar is best.

Depending where you are, Low Sizergh Barn, Kendal and the Courtyard Dairy, Settle are bloody excellent. The latter sells online.

A good cheese selection is a non negotiable at Christmas, preferably bought from your local seller who will let you sample before buying.
Cheese with anything other than bacteria in it has no place though.
A good crumbly cheddar, Stilton of course, something soft, something smoked, an old edam or similar, another blue, something else English and a something unusual all served with some nice fairly plain crackers.
Chutney if you like but try the cheese without it first.

@MrOvershoot not for a long time but it was very good.

Here’s a picture I took in Chester earlier in the year.  Can’t beat a good indy cheese shop.

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For the more Southern based members I can heartily recommend the cheeses from The High Weald Dairy which is very local to me, they also do online sales:

https://www.highwealddairy.co.uk/

Low sizergh barn does fab sausage rolls and pies. I stock up the freezer so always have a few spare. For cheese i like the tray of mixed cheeses at m+s, 15 quid i think.

Lucky enough to have a few cheese shops in town now, but these guys are still the best:

https://www.finecheese.co.uk/

Our local butcher, cafe/ deli and a indi deli shop all stock lovely cheeses. My favourite atm is Cashel blue. Small chunks of several types and a box of assorted crackers from Iceland.
why wait for Christmas, we started 2 months ago.

Who else loves Christmas cake and cheese together?

Proper cake like, marzipan and icing. Not some nut doily arrangement

Bit of vintage cheddar or gouda