What cheese for Christmas cheeseboard?

[Mueslikid]

I need tried and tested recommendations!

So far I have:
Good vintage cheddar (dc1 fave)
Smoked Wensleydale (dc2 fave)
Stilton (DH fave)
Camembert (my fave)

All from the cheese shop, so hopefully good quality.

I want a final interesting one that we might not have tried before - I saw Cornish Yarg with garlic in the shop, but not sure.

We have visitors coming who have similar tastes to us - traditional, strong tasting. Don’t want anything too “out there” but want something to complement what we have.

You have most of the bases covered I like to go for:
Something hard
Something soft
Something blue
Something goaty
Something flavoured

So the garlic Yarg would cover the flavoured and would be nicer than the usual awful wenslydale with cranberry

You could do a Royle Family and put a Dairylea cheese triangle on there.

I have bought goat’s cheese but I would eat it regularly anyway.
I also bought a selection from Marks - the Spanish selection one (probably only in big stores though) and another Arrigoni Taleggio ( which I have no idea what is like but I like to live dangerously and experiment at Christmas) I have the usual cheddars and Camembert although it’s for dipping..

I always get Brie de meaux, Stilton the recommended cheddar from the cheese shop and picos de europa

If you have a cheese shop will they let you taste samples?

I’m a strong cheddar fiend so probably not much help but what about something with cranberries/apricots or a fiery Mexican one for something different?

Epoisses if you like something a bit smelly, it’s delicious!

I'm pregnant so no blue or soft for me!
We have Cornish cruncher from M&S, Edam and Applewood 😋

Soft cheese such as Boursin, or Ie Roule, nutty cheese such as Gruyere, Emmenthal or Jarlsberg, or smoked cheese of some kind.

Applewood smoked cheese
Camembert
Wensleydale cranberry
Edam
Brie
Red Leicester

I’d add a Jarlsberg to that list. If not, Edam.
Maybe a soft cheese like Boursin.

Epoisses or vacherin
red storm a vintage Red Leicester

I love Double Gloucester with chives - absolutely amazing on cold roast potatoes!!

Lol at Dairylea triangle. Though I’m a Laughing Cow kinda gal myself.

Quite like the idea of Jarlsberg or Gruyere. DH is very taken with the Epoisses suggestion.

None of us have heard of Picos de europa, so that’s an interesting one.

Epoisses, Reblochon, Yarg, Coolea, or Gubeen.

Good point about trying in the shop - they usually have a couple of samples out on the counter, which is how we discovered the smoked Wensleydale.

This is what I go for and the garlic one does sound nice. I often do something with caramelized onion in because I don't much like the fruit ones either.

Agree. Wensleydale and cranberry is an ABOMINATION! 😵

🤣re a Dairylea triangle. I.sometimes think it is nice to get a local.cheese,is that a possibility?

Reblonchon

Garlic yarg 🙌 always a winner for us

@MrsCobbit

can you buy Gubeen cheese outside of WC?
They're up the road from me but I'm not a fan of any of their cheeses, sadly.

I love a soft light goats cheese. I think Waitrose used to do a nice one.

I bought some wensleydale with apricots today. Still to come are a strong farmhouse cheddar, brie, stilton, and maybe one or two others. Gruyere possibly.

We have one called 'Burner' and it is absolutely gorgeous, sharp with a chilli kick. With crusty bread, coleslaw, potato salad and a few slices of salami it is truly one of the best bits of Christmas for me!

What about an Ash Goat cheese? Semi soft, log shaped and speckled with ash. Its a bit different and lovely with cranberry jelly.

We have got

nice cheddar
red leciester (for DS1 who doesn’t do many cheeses)
y fenni (my fave I had to order it online as couldn’t get it in any of the shops this year!)
stilton (DH fave)
black sticks blue
Brie
Port Salut
Smoked cheese sausage (DS2 face)
wensleydale with cranberries (requested by DD and SIL)
chilli cheese
chive cheese
boursain
saint agur