Cheese board novice...if I like these...

[pinkgin85]

Extra mature cheddar
Red Leicester
Wensleydale w cranberries


What else would I like?

Also what crackers/bread/condiments would you recommend with it?

[viques]

@AdaColeman

Butter yes your butter will still be fine to use, butter has an extremely long shelf life, far exceeding its “use by” date. Enjoy!

I buy butter when it's on special offer and freeze it.




Back to the cheese.

[Sophiafour]

*Sighs with relief to see someone else has already said, basically, yes, your butter should be fine. ;)

[Sophiafour]

*Oops, this US article - www.wellandgood.com/does-butter-go-bad/

[Sophiafour]

@Graphista That's a slightly tricky one to answer, as butter doesn't often get to that stage in this household...it does depend on how many weeks over it is, and my parents were great believers in the "sniff" test or "try a tiny bit to see how off it tastes" test BUT more recent advice suggests that isn't always safe, as we've learned more about bacteria.

(Parents, uncle and aunt all grew up in the war so tried their very hardest not to bin food. Or anything else. But that's a whole different story. I still sometimes have nightmares about the giant rubber band ball - not because it was used for anything awful, but just because it. never. stopped. growing.)

Anyway, I did over-order last time so am in exactly the same position as you now with a block of butter (well, a roll, in this case). It is going to be turned into scones and/or shortbread. We also sometimes mash it into boiled potatoes or swede, and cook pancakes in it (though obviously that last one doesn't use up much). The roll I'm planning on using is salted, and a couple of weeks out of date now and it has been refrigerated and sealed that whole time.

There's some advice at www.which.co.uk/news/2020/04/coronavirus-is-it-ever-safe-to-keep-foods-after-their-best-before-and-use-by-dates/ and for a lighter take on it, this US article has a few links to some 2018 science work that was done on whether it's safe or not. There's also a pictorial guide at www.wikihow.com/Test-the-Freshness-of-Butter

Sorry not to give a definitive answer on that one, but just "Well, it depends..."

(I have loved this thread, though, it's one of my recent favourites. Last year we stopped in the Peak District on our way up north and the little village we stayed in had a cheese shop which sold things like Lancashire Bomb cheese. And the most gorgeous walnut cracker things to go with it. We even gave in and finally bought a cheese knife.)

[jay55]

I'm all for a traditional jacobs selection or supermarket knock off. Fancy crackers are never as nice for me.

[TartanDMs]

Red Fox for sure, it is a great cheese. Black Bomber is also a good one, and Pickle Power. For a soft cheese I like Vallage, it's not oozy like brie but it's creamy and tasty.

[AdaColeman]

[Graphista]

Excellent thanks re butter

[Smellbellina]

I like water biscuits best for cheese, unless it’s a blue, then it has to be a digestive

[Smellbellina]

Black Bomber is lush, and a proper double or single Gloucester.
Definitely chilli jam!

[AdaColeman]

Butter yes your butter will still be fine to use, butter has an extremely long shelf life, far exceeding its “use by” date. Enjoy!

[Graphista]

Hovis do little crackers shaped like loaves of bread that are slightly sweet but brilliant with cheese

Oooo yes I love those!

@Sophiafour as a butter connoisseur can I ask, I bought a block of butter to make scones and kept forgetting to use it and it's now a few weeks past the date on it (can't remember if use by or best before) do you reckon it'll still be ok to use?

Brie DEFINITELY shouldn't be plain, a decent Brie has quite a strong flavour imo

But if you like good strong cheeses Scots tend to favour this too, not just cheddar, and we do extra mature as well as mature, but also Lanark blue, Dunlop - similar to cheddar but can be more crumbly

[Pedallleur]

Something UK. A single gloucester, gorwydd Caerphilly, a sharp cheddar like Montgomery, Keanes or Isle of Mull. Get a selection from a good cheese shop. The Courtyard Dairy is a good one. Other shops are available

[PurBal]

Yarg. Merry Wyfe. Montgomery Chaddar. I don't eat cheese with anything except more cheese. Haha.

[pinkgin85]

Thank you for all the lovely suggestions!

I'm not a huge fan of Brie but maybe I just havnt had the right one yet, found it a bit plain? I definitely enjoy stronger and diverse flavours!

Taking notes of the jams as I want to try one or two!

[whatsthebestname]

Belton Farm Red Fox
Caboc
Port Salut
M&S Cornish cruncher with Diablo chilli

[CherryPavlova]

Goats cheese isn’t cheese. It’s lumps of the smell of goats.

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

Goat’s milk Gouda is delicious - not rubbery in the slightest and a really good strong flavour.

Also love a soft white lemony goats cheese, spread on baguette.

And a crunchy cheddar with calcium lactate crystals (I think). Delicious.

[PurplePansy05]

Randy brandy 😂

@CherryPavlova I usually get Caws at our local food market before Christmas. I don't think they sell the full range online, BUT I found it here:

discoverdelicious.wales/product/caws-cenarth-mature-cheese-with-apricots-and-brandy/

[CherryPavlova]

Brandy not randy!

[CherryPavlova]

@PurplePansy05

If we're going regional, I'm going to throw something Welsh into the mix - Beechwood from Snowdonia Cheese Company is absolutely delicious! Caws Cenarth Brandy & Apricot is also stunning and their Welsh classics (perl las & perl wen) are delicious as well. I love cheese too much 🤭

Randy and apricot sounds good for Christmastide. Do you know if it’s available online from anywhere?

[PurplePansy05]

@EasternDailyStress you'd be my cheeseboard partner in crime, I love everything you've just mentioned 😁

I am totally throwing a cheeseboard next weekend after reading this thread.

[Frownette]

@newtb I'm going to have to try pickled walnuts now

[EasternDailyStress]

Port Salut or Black Bomber.

Crackers - Carrs Melts, Finn Crisp or salt and black pepper thins (think they're Jacobs?)

[nimbuscloud]

Cashel Blue, Durrus and Gubbeen - all Irish - are delicious...