What make be a perfect cheese board?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

I've offered to take a cheese board to a night out we're going to next week.

I'd like it to be quite stupendous.

Adecent cheddar.

A blue.

A runny.

A fudion.

and one other.

I'm also going to take a port reduction for drizzling purposes but am stuck on other accompaniments.

And does anyone make their own biscuits? Could you share the details if so?

What you make you happy?

Thanks.

No fruity cheese - hideous stuff

I concur. Or herby cheese. Gimmicky.

Banon, I forgot Banon. Rare as hens teeth around these parts but lovely. Tis a goats or sometimes cows cheese soaked in eau de vie and wrapped in chestnut leaves, for the uninitiated. Yum. Let us know what you decide on in the end.

Lincolnshire Poacher is amazing.
Wenslydale with cranberries. You need oatcakes with this, the most gorgeous, buttery combination ever.

Lincolnshire Poacher is the best cheddar by far.

I miss the Cheeseboard shop in Harrogate, they were great for choosing new varieties. The cheese society cafe and shop in Lincoln puts me off because they don't allow children in the cafe and the shop isn't separate.

I'm partial to tallegio and dolcelatte as well as barbers cruncher cheddar.

Mrspnut, come to Louth. We have the best shop in the uk (official), and its's the cheese shop!

Here

I might make a trip over to Louth next week for a cheese fest.

Thank you, Sarah! I live 15 mins from Louth, pass this cheese shop regularly, and have never gone in. Next week ... Next week!

Ooh another Lincolnshire MN, we really ought to arrange a meet up.

Louth is brilliant for independent shops. The fishmongers is ace, as are the butchers, greengrocers and bakers. Lakins is well worth a visit too. :)

Hello, am going to move this over to Food topic so it doesn't vanish :)

So important to go to a really good cheese shop. The runny / smelly ones have to be just at the perfect stage of ripeness. Nothing worse than a hard tasteless unripe brie - completely different experience to a lovely soft ripe heavenly quality one.

I'm up for a meet-up mrspnut and SarahStratton. PM me if you're interested. (And thanks for the other recommendations!)

decent sized lumps of 4-5 cheeses, not lots of little bits.

I agree with Betty, go to the good cheese shop and they will advise as to what's best on the day.

DUNSYRE BLUE (or Lanark Blue if you want Ewe's Milk) This is a LOVELY tangy soft textured cheese with a hint of blue - its GORGEOUS. Lanark blue's tang is sharper, dunsyre's more rounded. Both excellent (dunsyre slightly more) with a heavy red wine...

oOH have to argue with Lincolnshire Poacher - Mull Cheddar (get the most mature you can) is stupendous .. slightly grainy so can be used as a parmesan substitute if it dries as well, but will tang your mouth to buggery but without the rubbish over salty taste of some inferior mature cheddars

i also like a mature (at least 10 year old) gouda.

Agree no herby things either - although Waitrose used to do a Camembert with a truffle line through it - that was a fantastic exception - think you can only get it around Christmas.

I wouldn't put a mouth strippingly strong macho cheddar onto a cheese board, that kind of cheese needs a board of its own - it ruins your mouth, numbs your taste buds for all other delights on the board.

Agree about Brie needing to be perfectly ripe.

Agree with Shropshire Blue and would add Picos blue if you can find it ( a superb Spanish cheese). Manchego always goes down well here along with a good smoked cheese, as long as it is a proper smoked cheese and not a painted on smoke effect.

There is an awesome cheese van at Ludlow market and a fine cheese shop too [smug emoticon]

If you have any Christmas cake left then bite size pieces go well as an accompaniment to the cheddar