Cheese board help

[Tiredsahm84]

What's your cheese board essentials?

It's for Christmas Day evening to be served as part of a dessert buffet for about 6 adults

After cheeses, cracker & chutney recommendations

Dh family, I'm happy just with a bit of cheddar so I'm useless!!

[ysmaem]

I love cheese boards. Blue cheese eaten with vine tomatoes is amazing. A variety of different chutneys. A nice cheese board with decent tools is a must for me. Fruity cheese, soft and hard cheese.

[7Worfs]

How many adults, OP?
I’d go to a supermarket and browse and buy separately too

[NoWordForFluffy]

We buy ours from Booths, and I'll be getting:

Extra mature West Country Cheddar;
West Country Brie;
Blue Stilton;
Lancashire;
Wensleydale; and
Garstang Blue.

I'll probably get a selection from here too as well.

We ❤️❤️❤️ our cheese!

[TheAnnoyingSatsuma]

Cashel Blue
Comte
Brie

Water biscuits
Pears

[DaisyMay25]

Try go to a farmers market or something similar, DH and I picked up some Wensleydale with port and red wine in it yesterday ready for Christmas!

[Lekky12]

A baked brie in a cob is top of our list along with mango chutney, pecans and grapes. Plus many more cheeses and italian meats. Mozerella balls, pesto and Sun-dried tomatoes are a particular favourite flavour combo on a sea salt craker. Dammit... I want a cheeseboard for tea now....

[BlackboardMonitorVimes]

I desperately want a Brillat Savarin for Christmas but can't find one in the shops. Does anyone know where I can get some? That on its own would make my cheese board.

[feelinghelplesstoday]

Torta de Gorgonzola is always an excellent addition. If you're not familiar it's Gorgonzola and mascarpone layers. Also love reblochon.

www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-1-torta-di-gorgonzola/876992-498319-498320

I like to serve tapenade on the side.

[feelinghelplesstoday]

@BlackboardMonitorVimes

www.finefoodspecialist.co.uk/brillat-savarin-affine-cheese?gclid=CjwKCAjwlovtBRBrEiwAG3XJ-00P9MbwQpF1RunCSwL2G2f4GXOeygijwhbIzzJc-5c59gmbz4wSZhoCpVMQAvD_BwE they do a truffle infused too

[LizzieMacQueen]

Don't forget the port. Essential with cheese.

I'd buy more than you think. Using leftover cheese is not difficult.

Walnuts too. Some people like pickled walnuts but not me.

[AdaColeman]

Blackboard Ocado usually stock Brillat Savarin.

[CalamityJune]

Please don't buy a pre packaged set like that. Theyre never nice! Cheese counter all the way!

Carrs Biscuits For Cheese are the only option too!

[BlackboardMonitorVimes]

@AdaColeman and @feelinghelplesstoday thank you! I've never used Ocado but that might sway me their way. That fine foods £18.95 one is the one you can buy in France for under €5... I am wondering though if truffle for Xmas is the way to go.

I love cheese.

[buckeejit]

Leeds blue-it's amazing!

Ossau iraty

Yarg

[buckeejit]

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie track Lehman's is the best chilli jam bar none!

[feelinghelplesstoday]

@BlackboardMonitorVimes you're welcome. I love cheese too-I used to work for an Italian cheese manufacturer. Best job ever 😂
Truffle infused anything is the way to go x

[Samosaurus]

A lot of good suggestions on here. I would avoid the prepackaged stuff as cheese always tastes best when it is freshly cut, so go to the cheese counter, or better still a specialist cheese shop if you have one near you. Quince jelly and oat cakes are must-have accompaniments in my household.

[Sooverthemill]

If you are taking cheese to people who like a cheeseboard as a treat, that size pack isn't very big. You could go to teh cheese counter in a large supermarket or a poncy deli ( but poncy prices too). We get cheese from a specialist cheese shop or online. I would not be surprised to pay £20+ for the cheese plus crackers etc. But you must buy what your budget allow. 3 decent size wedges and grapes and crackers would be fine. A strong cheddar, a French soft maybe and a bit of Stilton would be lovely. Cheese is like wine, people like different things

[Sooverthemill]

And ripe Gorgonzola will divide the room ( I love it)

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks, Buck. Will try to track some down.

[tinysnickersaremyfavourite]

I would go for
Cheddar - I like Glastonbury Twanger
Red Leicester - a good strong one, the 'premium' one they sell in aldi is actually very good
Stilton or Roquefort
Shropshire Blue
A goats cheese
A good mature brie or camembert
A really good comté if I can get one

[PersonaNonGarter]

Maximum 3 cheeses:

Blue - Stilton for Christmas
Hard
Soft

Do you know about the amazing Waitrose 1 cheese biscuits? They might not be for everyone because they are quite chunky. We think they are delicious. The Chestnut and Celery Seed ones are my favourite.

[Thehagonthehill]

I like the large Carr's Water biscuits.At Christmas I look for different local cheeses and make some tasty discoveries that way.

[WellardAvocado]

This is just my own personal idea of an amazing cheeseboard;

A really strong crunchy cheddar. Strongest you can get!

Brie - bought at least 1 week in advance so it is at least partly ripe

Stilton. A regional red blue cheese may be acceptable.

Roule

Applewood smoked cheddar

Something boozy/festive - stilton with whiskey and apricots perhaps.

An onion cheese - something with pickled or caramelized onions in.

Chutneys; caramelised red onion, Branston, and something festive and fancy like cranberry, orange and port

Red grapes

Celery

Sliced apple, using lemon juice to keep from going brown

Fruit cake sliced into small fingers

Carrs cheese melts, and digestives.

[Thehollyandtheirony]

You need quince jelly. I like it with manchego.
Thinly sliced apple and (hard) pear work well as accompaniments.