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WHAT TO CHOOSE
FIRST THINGS FIRST Back out of the
chiller aisle and check if there’s an
in-store counter (Covid has closed
some). Freshly cut cheeses tend to
be in better condition than those
suffocated in plastic, plus you can
get advice from the person behind
the counter. Waitrose and Booths
are strong in this regard.
BUY PROTECTED CHEESES Classics such
as parmesan, reblochon and stilton
all carry Protected Designation of
Origin (PDO) logos, which enshrine
where and how they’re made.
LOOK OUT FOR UNPASTEURISED MILK
It often delivers more complexity.
...AND CHEESES WITH RINDS RATHER
THAN NAKED BLOCKS Moulds and
yeasts add flavour.
REMEMBER DIVERSITY It’s the secret
to a showstopping Christmas
cheeseboard. It’s a good idea to pick
contrasting textures, milk types
(stated on packets), shapes and
colours, but it doesn’t have to be
brie, cheddar and stilton. Mix things
up a bit with the camembert-style
tunworth, the hard sheep’s milk
cheese parlick and buttery
harrogate blue. For bigger boards
add a pungent washed rind cheese,
such as époisses, plus a zingy goat’scheese – rosary ash from Wiltshire
is just the ticket.HOW TO SERVE:
THE TWO-TIP RULE
1 Cold kills flavour, so remove your
cheeses from the fridge and get
them to room temperature.
2 Don’t unwrap until just before you
serve or the cheeses may dry out.PLAT TER, SLATE OR BOARD?
I shudder at a cheese knife scraping
on slate. I prefer a wooden board,
either a thick block that elevates the
cheese or a long board that’s easy
to pick up and pass around.ON THE SIDE
These are the winning combos:- Piccalilli with cheddar
- Fig jam with blue cheeses
- Quince paste (membrillo) with
pretty much any cheese. - A flicker of honey over goat’s
cheese is a wonderful thing.
WHAT ELSE?
I crave crunch with cheese, so
I keep cornichons or toasted
hazelnuts to hand. I’m also a cake
fan. A hunk of stilton on a lump of
fruit cake is not just for Christmas.cheeseboard
NSTANT UPGRA
WANT TO ORDER DIRECT FROM
A CHEESEMAKER?
These are my Christmas top three:- Berwick edge (doddingtoncheese.co.uk)
An aged gouda from Northumberland that
is fruity, caramel and crystalline. - Pavé cobble (whitelake.shop) This soft sheep’s
milk cheese from Somerset won the British
Cheese Awards in 2017 – sweet, rich and meaty. - Cote hill blue (cotehill.com) The Davenport
family make this unpasteurised cow’s milk
blue on their Lincolnshire farm. It’s mellow,
gooey and spicy.
Patrick is a food writer who specialises in cheese. His new book,
The Philosophy of Cheese (British Library Publishing £10), is out now.deliciousmagazine.co.uk 129
sorted.
For the best choice, a specialist shop is the place to go, but most of
us will find ourselves before a wall of plastic-wrapped cheesesat
some point. The good news is that with a bit of know-how youcan
unearth treasures in the big stores, says Patrick McGuigandeliciousm