Cheese - what would you choose?

[kimchio]

I'm making a cheese board for boxing day. So far I have boursin and a nice mature cheddar. What would you choose?

I'm afraid I don't believe you. All vegan cheese is smegma from the devil's own manky undercrackers. There are no exceptions.

Vacherin given it's Christmas and it's in season. And I'd have truffle brie instead of normal brie to make it a bit posher! And truffle honey to go with it all.

My absolute favourite cheese - alp
blossom

I'd suggest a vacherin mont d'or but when I buy that it's all mine and not for sharing.

In place of brie or camembert, go with a Baron Bigod.

Try and look for local cheeses rather than off the supermarket shelf, you often get more interesting ones from smaller dairies.

I usually go.. one blue = a Stilton at Christmas though I like Cornish blue.
One hard = Cornish Quartz or Smoked Gouda
One soft = Brie or Tallegio
One Goat = Kidderton Ash
One spare! = Like a Garlic Yarg or Manchego

Leicestershire Blue
Payson Breton
Jarlsberg
Medium cheddar

Vintage cheddar, extra mature is our regular one.

Perl Wen - similar to brie, organic and from Wales
Cornish blue - I used to work in a deli so I tried all the cheeses and this was by far my fave!

Especially for the gooey cheese!

I bought some french cheese sections from m&S. it’s got a blue d’auvergne, mariolles, croton de chèvre, tomme de breaks, and saint-nectaire. and some Quince jelly too.

I might also buy some epoisse to go with them.

Brie
Blacksticks blue (more mellow than Stilton)
Cornish cruncher cheddar

The best chutney you can afford
oatcakes - the triangle ones if you can get them, or make your own. They’re very easy
Unsalted mixed nuts (everything else is already salty)
Lots of red and green grapes and slices of green apple
Butter

Truffled Brie!

Roquefort

Truffle honey was going to be my contribution to this thread! Delicious!

I find Comte pretty dull myself and Manchego although people rave about them. I like Pie d’aloy, Stilton, a flavoursome cheddar, a bit of Mexican cheese for the kids and something smoked.
Tonnes of crackers, chutney, and a salsa.

I loved the one they did in Waitrose but not see it for a while. Ive got an Aldi version waiting for interview

Trufado (Aldi truffle sheeps cheese)
Blacksticks
Any Kalbach
Waitrose Village
Double cream brie
The good Red Fox form the Waitrose cheese counter
White Stilton
A good smoked cheese (though I do like the cheapie ones as well)
My minds gone blank but I could go on forever

If you like lots of cheese it's worth investing in some wax paper from Amazon, stops the cheese getting sweaty

A few years ago we got given a gift box of chutneys and relishes from a specialist firm. Lordy, they were gorgeous with cheese (and other things).

So I second the pp who advised to get the best chutney you can afford.

(Sorry, can’t shed any light on who made the wonderful accompaniments we were given: we scoffed them all long ago.)

Cambozola
Cashel Blue
Snowdonia Rock Star
Port Salut
Comté

I like Wensleydale with apricots but the rest of th family prefer it with cranberries.

Peter’s Yard crackers, especially the ones with figs or dates, and Morrison’s own brand sea salt and black pepper crackers. Red grapes.

The rules of cheese boards that I was taught are:
odd number of cheeses
contrasting shapes
mix of soft and hard
at least one mild and one blue

i sometimes like doing an entirely Cornish board or entirely Alsace. I also like to have at least one non cows’ cheese. I don’t like too many fussy things with the cheese, as it has to be the movie star, but we would have some winter fruits at this time of year and rough oatcakes / water biscuits.

I recommend watching fancy cheeseboard videos on tik tok.

This, for example, looks fantastic. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeNPs3j5/

At the moment I'm obsessed with Cornish yarg but it's expensive. I love white stilton and I love, but rarely see, sage Derby.

Has anyone mentioned thinly sliced pears yet?

We’ve got Cornish mature cheddar, a medium cheddar, Brie, Boursin, goats cheese, a Dutch sheep’s cheese. I need to pick up some cambozola or something blue - not a Stilton fan.
We might have gone overboard on the chutneys as they were on offer in Sainsburys.

Oh though, white Stilton with apricots in.

Loads of brilliant suggestions here. Can’t add any better cheeses.

I can only add on the accompaniments side, in addition to some jams, jellies and chutneys, I would add

figs, dried pineapple rings, honey and at Christmas I like to use some handfuls of fancy Christmas mixed fruit and nuts around the cheeseboard.