Please talk to me about cheese

[HopeThisIsAGoudaIdea]

Hi all
Christmas is approaching us and I need your advice / opinions on the best cheeses out there

Cheeses I love are:
Very feety smelling (think like Camembert cheese, but stinkier)
Stilton and other blue cheese (although the danish blue in a supermarket is a bit sickly for me)
Sharp crumbly cheddars
Basically anything blue and or strong, or gooey and or strong

Cheeses that are okay (still like but can live without)
Goats cheese
Smoked cheese

Recently tried a Comte and a Black Bomber cheese thanks to recommendations on here - thanks mumsnet! Any other pong suggestions given the parameters above?

Thanks all
Cheese loving person

My favourites are

• truffle pecorino
• Sparkenhoe Red
• Winslade

All already ordered for the Christmas cheeseboard!

Ooh amazing thread! I would thoroughly recommend Blacksticks Blue and to be honest most of the other cheeses from Butler’s Farmhouse Cheeses in Lancashire. The truffle stuffed Brie from M&S is gooey and delicious. Also Appleby Creamery’s Black Dub Blue and smoked Brie from Cumbria.

Have you tried Godminster Cheddar?

Langres is lovely too and Pie D'angeloys actually.

Époisses. Like Camembert but stinkier

Roquefort or Shropshire Blue.

Lincolnshire Poacher - lovely grassy Cheddar type.
Loch Arthur -
Wookey Hole, lovely crumbly cheddars.

I love cheese.

Order a box from Courtyard Dairy or do one of their online tastings - life-changing (I’m not affiliated to them but I love cheese and their virtual tastings were fab over lockdown and introduced me to lots of new British cheeses).

Stinking Bishop is lovely and strong.

I know you said you could take or leave goats cheese, but just thought I would recommend Golden Cross goats cheese - honestly it is the most delicious goats cheese I think I have ever eaten. In fact I would say it's the nicest cheese I've ever eaten, and I love all the same cheeses as you have listed!

Shropshire Blue is lovely. It has a very crisp taste and a dryer texture than most blue cheeses.

Stichelton - a resurrected raw milk Stilton. Lovely!

Another fan of Roquefort here - absolutely delicious.

Following for the suggestions, its my last Christmas before I go vegan 🧀😭🧀😭

Stinking Bishop for a soft cheese
Cashel blue
Isle of Mull cheddar

All delicious!

Feet cheese; Stinking Bishop
Cheddar style; dragonwales.co.uk
Blue cheese; Cashell Blue

We usually have on our cheeseboard - doux de Montagne, morbier, reblachon, kit Calvert a good quality cheddar and Stilton.

I love all of the cheeses, they will probably be listed as my cause if death.

Along with the pongy lovelies and the blue beauties, I'd put in a nutty Manchego and some gooey goats cheese.

Camembert/Brie type - Baron Bigod or Tunworth
Gooey and strong - Epoisses or Stinking Bishop
Soft or gooey - St Jude or St Cera, Winslade
Blue - I prefer a Gorgonzola Piccante or Roquefort but maybe Stichelton for a firmer blue.
I know you said you can leave the goat but there’s so many delicious ones out there - Sinodun Hill is lovely

Coolea is an amazing, strong, hard cheese like a sharp Gouda. Really delicious.

You might like a strong Lancashire eg kirkham’s - crumbly, lactic, strong but in a v different way to cheddar.

Ticklemore is an unusual goats cheese.. light, a bit crumbly...my goats cheese hating partner likes it, so do the kids.

I love cashel blue, so creamy yet sharp, and the sheep’s milk version crozier blue is like a meltingly explosive Roquefort but better.
But you can’t go wrong with stichelton, so good

Ps yes to tunworth! Delicious fresh or baked.

Also worth trying a vacherin if you haven’t - incredibly strong, melty yet delicate... I think it’s seasonal tho and not sure which seasons

Ossau iraty

My favourite blue cheese is St Agur. Also try Cornish Cruncher (you can get it from M&S). It has a weird crunchy texture that I love.

Came on to say Stichleton but @steppingout has beat me to it!

Montagnolo - best blue cheese ever - won many international awards - everybody loves it! And great with pears but not as sharp as Roquefort:
cheese.com/montagnolo/

I second Godminster cheddar - probably my favourite cheddar - we had a whole round if it waxed white under the Montagnolo at our daughters wedding. Wookey Hole is very good too.

I also really love an aged dry nutty red leicester like Rutland Red or Red Fox.

A tangy Red Leicester is also a good choice.

Best cheese company ever is Heritage at Borough Market. They are passionate about amazing UK cheese, particularly. They do the best smoked goats cheese ever (and goat isn't my first choice of cheese) worth a browse at their selection and then finding similar locally to you.

boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/heritage-cheese/

And this is THE best mildish cream cheese - fabulous on digestives!
cheese.com/delice-de-bourgogne/