Favourite Cheese

[FrancisCross]

Every Christmas I vow that we will have some extra special cheeses and chutneys and every year we end up with supermarket basics and a jar of caramelised onion relish. Nothing wrong with that but this year I really want to up my cheese game.

Can anyone recommend their favourite cheese and accompaniments please? Thanks.

Blacksticks Blue
Garstang Blue
Cornish Yarg
Butler's Lancashire
Snowdonia Red Devil and Black Bomber
Butler's Kinnerton Ash

I'm quite happy with just grapes or my homemade chilli jam as I'm not a chutney fan, overly.

I mix it up each year but these are not favourites:

Baron Bigod
Black Bomber
Cornish Yard
Sparkenhoe Red Leicester
Beauvale
Rollright

I tend to buy various chutneys for Aldi each year and then have grapes, figs, crackers and pates.

Find a good cheesemonger near you that way you'll be able to try before you buy

Castello soft blue. Also they do one a soft one with pineapple and almond.
Brie
Caboc
Black sticks blue

This month's craft gin box comes with sourdough crackers, that were delicious.

Peters bakery, sold in Waitrose and Sainsbury's, I'm definitely going to buy some more.

Cornish yarg, really good crackers and chilli jam or red onion jam

Manchego and Tickler mature cheddar. Or anything with Tiptree Crabapple or quince jelly.

Stinking Bishop, truffle honey.

Probably not special to other people but I recently discovered some flavoured ‘roules’ in aldi (garlic & herb and black pepper & paprika I’ve tried so far) and they are delicious! I also go for the Mexican spicy cheese at Xmas and a Wensleydale and cranberry.

Manchego with truffle honey, epoisses with a good glass of Sauternes.

I love having a selection of cheese and a (small!) wine pairing for each one.

I’ve just picked up a couple of ice cider bottles and hunting for cheeses to match if anyone has any suggestions.

@NoWordForFluffy I could eat a whole trickle of black bomber to myself. It is the best cheddar ever.

I also like Snowdonia cheese Co’s Red Leicester.

My sister in law bought us Stichelton from Neil’s yard dairy. It was a type of creamy Stilton. It was so good.

DH likes a bit of Five Counties with his mince pies.

In normal times, I recommend a visit to the cheese room at the Wensleydale cheese factory in Yorkshire. 60 different varieties to try if I remember correctly.

We often get Houmous if doing a cheese board, fora bit of variety.

@EstherLittle, we get the Snowdonia triple pack as part of our Christmas cheese from Booth's. It is amazing stuff!

We also have a cheese shop in the village centre near us which does some cracking local cheeses.

Black Bomber here too - it’s the absolute best 🤤

@Littlegoth

I only had truffle honey for the first time a couple of years ago. It's gorgeous isn't it.

Thanks for the recommendations! Definitely going to find a cheesemonger / deli and try some of these suggestions. We’re in Norfolk so will do some research.

Black sticks Stilton
Welsh soft goats cheese
Somerset brie
Yorkshire blue (red blue cheese)
Dolcellatta
Gorganzolla

Bath Blue and Bath Soft.

Ooh, yes, Yorkshire Blue is lovely!

@FrancisCross

Thanks for the recommendations! Definitely going to find a cheesemonger / deli and try some of these suggestions. We’re in Norfolk so will do some research.

Where in Norfolk are you? I’m in Norwich. Horning has a deli that sells loads of cheese and Jarrold’s in Norwich has a fancy cheese counter downstairs.

@ClaraLane I’m in Norwich as well! Never thought of Jarrolds Deli - will definitely check it out. Was looking at the Norfolk Deli in Hunstanton as a possibility.

White stilton with ginger.

Yarg
Stinking Bishop
Teifi seaweed
We also usually get buffalo , see and goats cheeses from our local market
Usually have them with biscuits and beer or wine

That should read ewe not see.

Oh I love cheese and love putting together a board

I would have this as an English cheeeboard

Baron bigod- lovely soft almost runny
Colston basset Stilton
Lincolnshire poacher double barrel
Cornish yarg

Serve with honey walnuts fig-cake and water biscuits apple and grapes

Have a look at online vendors too and farmers market

@Littlegoth

Manchego with truffle honey, epoisses with a good glass of Sauternes.

I love having a selection of cheese and a (small!) wine pairing for each one.

I’ve just picked up a couple of ice cider bottles and hunting for cheeses to match if anyone has any suggestions.

I second Epoisses. Always gets me a seat on the train, it's that smelly! But in a good way.