For most people, the star of the Christmas dinner is the turkey (or the plant-based variety for you vegetarians and vegans).
While the main dish is all well and good, we’re more interested in what comes after.
This year, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite fromage for the festive season, from stinky (read: yummy) blue to the classic cheddar, these are our favourite cheeses.
We’ve thrown in chocolate and other sweet treats, too… because why stop at just one type of dessert?
Let’s dig in.
CHRISTMAS ARTISAN CHEESE BOX – SHEPHERD’S PURSE – £50
Whether you love blue cheese or would like to give it a real try for the first time, this is the perfect set for the holidays.
It includes four 170g blue cheeses, one 150g salad cheese and a packet of Peter’s Yard crackers (the fancy stuff), as well as pot of honey and red onion and port marmalade.
Not bad for £50.
Having tried them ourselves, our vote is definitely for the Yorkshire Blue, which is slightly milder in taste. True blue lovers will adore Buffalo Blue, a proper stinky cheese.
The crackers are very moreish so we recommend picking up another packet in the supermarket, because you won’t want to share.
And the honey was also a delicious addition.
Top tip? Replace your usual crackers with gingerbread cookies and thank us later.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
- 1 x Organic Yorkshire Blue (170g)
- 1 x Harrogate Blue (170g)
- 1 x Mrs Bell’s Blue (170g)
- 1 x Buffalo Blue (170g)
- 1 x Mrs Bell’s Salad Cheese (150g)
- 1 x Rosebud Preserves Red Onion & Port Marmalade
- 1 x Annabel’s Blossom Honey
- 1 x Peter’s Yard Fig & Spelt Sourdough Crackers
Shepherd’s Purse also has many other gift boxes to choose from, ranging in price from £22 to £77.
CHRISTMAS BAKES NIGHT IN SELECTION – SNOWDONIA – £35
If you eat just one cheese this Christmas, let it be the Black Bomber Extra Mature Cheddar.
Once you cut into the dark wax and get yourself a slice, you won’t stop until you’ve finished the whole thing.
Or perhaps that was just us?
We tried the trademarked cheese just for you – you’re welcome, dear reader – and it does not disappoint.
The fig and cranberry crackers also get a 9 out of 10 for flavour.
But, to be frank, the rest of the selection is just as delicious – this is the perfect finale for your festive feast.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
- 1 x Black Bomber Welsh Rarebit Cheese Bake
- 1 x Rock Star Cheese & Wine Bake
- 1 x Black Bomber Extra Mature Cheddar (200g)
- 1 x Rock Star Cave-Aged Cheddar (200g)
- 1 x Snowdonia Fig & Cranberry Crackers
- 1 x Fig & Apple Chutney (114g)
- 1 x Balsamic Caramelised Onion Chutney (100g)
You can also reuse keep the lovely ceramic cheese bake bowls but if this isn’t quite enough cheese for your dinner table, don’t worry – Snowdonia has plenty more on offer.
Might we suggest the luxurious Christmas Cheese, Charcuterie & Port Wicker Hamper instead?
MINI SQUIDGE CHRISTMAS HAMPER – CUTTER & SQUIDGE – £52.99
Quite possibly the most quintessentially British dessert hamper for Christmas.
A decent cuppa? Check. Buttery shortbread? Double check.
And strawberry meringue-flavoured bark, which is basically just a winter chocolate version of Eton Mess. Check, check, check.
Handmade in London, you can get next day delivery if you order by 4pm the day before, so if the gingerbread house falls to pieces or you need a last minute treat to impress your guests – this is the one.
Everything in the hamper is pretty tasty but if we had to choose a favourite product, our vote would go for the cheesy cacio de pepe bites.
The hot chocolate spoons are also a fun novelty.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
1 x Earl Grey Shortbread Box
2 x Hot Chocolate Spoons
1 x Box of Premium Mint Tea
1 x Strawberry Meringue Chocolate Bark
1 x 100g Bag of Coffee
1 x Pouch of Jam on Toast Cookie Bites
1 x Pouch of Cacio e Pepe Cookie Bites
GOAT’S CHEESE GALORE – MULTIPLE OPTIONS
Not all good things come in a hamper or gift set – some cheese stands alone.
We’ve pulled together some of the top goat’s cheese options, which are all recommended by the Milking Goat Association.
First up is Pant-Ys-Gawn (£4.80), developed by Pam and Tony Craske, the founders of Abergavenny Fine Foods.
Think salty and lemony flavours. The duo recommend grilling it or spreading it in a sandwich, so it might be one for the Boxing Day when you want to make the classic leftover turkey sarnie.
The second GOAT is Sinodun Hill: an unpasteurised vegetarian rennet, made by Norton & Yarrow Cheese at Earth Trust Farm. It’s an award-winning cheese that takes four days to make and is then ripened for up to 21 days.
But it’s on the pricier end of the scale, available for £14.95 at Paxton & Whitfield.
Another great option is Eve from White Lake Somerset Dairy at £7.30.
A truly unique cheese, it’s dressed in gorgeous vine leaf. While this looks pretty, we’ll admit that we were feeling a bit hesitant by the green wrapping at first.
But this cheese will become a table favourite from the first taste until the last.
Washed in Somerset cider brandy, the goat’s cheese has a strong-ish flavour but it’s not too overwhelming.
Other options to try from White Lake Somerset Dairy include Smo’King of the Castle (£14.20) – a hard goat’s cheese that is worth a taste but was a tad too powerful for our palate – and Driftwood (£8.39) – a classic goat’s cheese with a light ash coating.
THE FESTIVE FASTO BUNDLE – FATSO – £19.50
Yeah, we’ll admit, it’s a controversial brand name – especially if you’re gifting the product to someone else.
But look beyond the moniker, because this chocolate deserves your attention.
Thick and delicious, you can buy individual bars or choose The Festive Fatso Bundle, which promises to “bring more chunk, more flavour, more ethics and more chocolate with a trio” selection.
Forget boring truffles filled with classic salted caramel or other basic ingredients.
Fatso is anything but boring, featuring flavour varieties like cornflake, toast and marmalade (Mornin’ Glory) or peanut, toffee and digestive biscuit (Nan’s Stash).
Our only pointer would be that the chocolate is a bit tricky to munch on in one go, because it really is very thick – but that’s also part of its appeal.
Too much chocolate is not a thing.
PREMIUM BOXED LUXURY HAMPER – WICKEDLY WELSH – £44.99
There’s another contender for most exciting chocolate choice this year.
Wickedly Welsh has put together a premium boxed luxury hamper with a wide selection of the kind you eat and the kind to stir into a cup.
Break off a piece of a raspberry and vodka, share a coffee & biscuit-flavoured bar or try the festive orange and cranberry. The Mint Humbug is also a timeless classic.
Gobble your treat up with some hot chocolate topped with mini marshmallows or share a bag of Milk Chocolate Puddles.
Works best as a sharing hamper or to be consumed over a few days unless you enjoy sugar overload.
TRIPLE TREAT HAMPER – MACKNADE – £45
We love a combo hamper and Macknade has outdone itself this year with options to suit every need and budget.
The Triple Treat hamper is a decent mid range choice for a romantic night-in-for-two (or one!).
The box contains a bottle of English Chardonnay, a lush soy wax candle and a 90g bar of Choc Affair Classic Milk chocolate.
If you are attending any intimate Christmas parties or dinners, this hamper could also be a lovely gift.
Other good choices include the Vegan Hamper (£40), the Happy Hound Hamper (£35) – because dogs deserve a treat from Santa, too – and the Italian Charcuterie and Cheese Hamper (£55).
LARGE SWEET HAMPER – SWEET HAMPER COMPANY – £36.50
Last but certainly not least, while it is neither chocolate nor cheese, we had to include this hamper.
The sweet treat galore from the aptly-named Sweet Hamper Company is a walk down memory lane.
Pull that Refresher from the packet, let the Candy Floss melt in your mouth or shove your face full of popping Fizz Wizz.
The hamper also contains a pick-and-mix selection, beautifully packed in gorgeous white and pink paper bags.
Sure, it’s a great buy for the kids.
But let’s be real, this is also an excellent purchase for anyone in need of a nostalgic taste of the past.
