We’re all creatures of habit and many of us are sticklers for tradition too; never more so than at Christmas when turkey, sprouts and bread sauce are inevitable. It’s a similar story on the cheeseboard.
Cheddar, Brie and, of course, Stilton are the three wise men of Christmas for good reason. Familiar favourites that each offer something a little different in terms of texture and flavour, they are a safe bet because they offer something for everyone.
But these three titans of the board don’t have to be our festive cheese destiny. Like Ebenezer Scrooge (who famously blamed a ‘crumb of cheese’ for his ghostly visits), we can look at the past and change our ways. An alternative Christmas cheeseboard is within our reach.
There are literally thousands of cheeses that can embody the spirit of Christmas just as well as the three usual suspects. I’ve been enjoying cheeses from Belgium, Norway and Portugal this year and there are plenty of new and innovative cheesemakers in the UK, France and Italy doing things differently with dairy.
These three titans of the board don’t have to be our festive cheese destiny
These cheeses come in a buffet of textures and flavours that more than meet the old cheeseboard mantra of ‘something hard, something soft and something blue’. But they also encompass different milk types, colours, shapes and styles.
A few golden rules to follow as you go beyond the big three. Buy decent sized chunks of each cheese; 200g and above is good. They will look generous and keep better in the fridge.
Speaking of which, keep your cheese tightly wrapped (waxed paper is best) in the salad drawer in your fridge where they will be protected from drying out. Remember to remove the salad beforehand.
When it comes to serving your alternative Christmas cheeseboard, make sure the cheeses are up to room temperature and each has its own knife to avoid cross contamination. And if you’re going to have a genre-busting cheeseboard, then make sure the accompaniments are equally cutting edge: fruit cake, roasted nuts, truffle honey and membrillo are all good pals with cheese. And don’t knock kimchi with blue cheese or date molasses with gouda until you’ve tried it.
Finally, it might sound blasphemous but red wine doesn’t go with all cheese. It works a charm with hard, aged cheeses but often tarnishes the creamy notes of goat and soft cheeses. White wines, sparkling and fortified are often a wiser choice. If you’re going to serve an alternative Christmas cheeseboard, do it properly.
The best cheese for Christmas: a super six with a sense of adventure
Yr Afr, Wales
This button-shaped cheese from North Wales is pronounced ‘er ahver’, which translates as ‘The Goat’ in Welsh. It’s made by Bradley Cunningham, an engineer whose cheesemaking hobby grew into an award-winning business. Similar in style to Crottin de Chavignol from the Loire Valley, Yr Afr has a pretty wrinkly rind and weighs just 100g, so can be demolished in one go on a cheeseboard. The silky layer beneath the rind is savoury and mushroomy, while the interior is fluffy and refreshingly citrusy.
Blas ar Fwyd, £7.75/100g
To drink: Albariño from Rías Baixas. Look for bottles with a few years lees ageing. It gives the wine a pleasing richness that echoes the creamy cheese.
Robiola Bosina, Italy
This soft, buttery cheese from Piedmont is similar in style to Brie or Camembert, but with an added twist. It’s made with due latti – a mix of cow and sheep’s milk – which give a rich flavour and velvety texture. Piedmont has a long history of making mixed milk cheeses and Robiola is one of the region’s most famous. Robiola Bosina, made by Caseificio dell’Alta Langa, is a great introduction to the style. Soft and pillowy, it’s fab with a few roasted hazelnuts and lick of honey. Or can be baked to molten goo in the oven.
Pong Cheese, £12.95/300g
To drink: Prosecco is an easy match. The fruity fizz breaks up the richness.
Lowfields Lancashire, England
For a long time there was only one raw milk Lancashire cheesemaker left in the UK: the iconic Mrs Kirkham’s. But that number has doubled with the launch of Lowfields Lancashire this year, made by smallholder Roger Cowgill in Ingleton, North Yorkshire (on the Lancashire border). He milks just 12 native Dairy Shorthorn cows, combining curd from three different days in the cheese, which is clothbound and aged for around three months. The result is a taste of how Creamy Lancashire used to be: tender, flaky and buttery with a lovely lactic zing.
The Courtyard Dairy, £10.50/200g
To drink: Chardonnay with a touch of oak. The toasty vanilla notes pick up on the buttery quality of the cheese.
Old Groendal, Belgium
An aged Gouda from West Flanders that puts the crystals into Christmas, Old Groendal is aged for 18 months until it has a remarkable crunchy crystalline texture and rich butterscotch flavour. The cheese is made by an enterprising cheesemaker close to the Dutch border, which uses milk from its own herd of cows and coats the hefty wheels of cheese in bright red wax. It’s a barnstorming alternative to Cheddar thanks to an intense sweet, salty, savoury flavour.
Paxton & Whitfield; £13.75/250g
To drink: Robust reds work well with the bold cheese, as does a Belgian ale such as Chimay Rouge if you discover one in your Christmas stocking.
Torta de Barros, Spain
Torta de Barros looks a little like a cake (hence ‘torta’) but slice the top off and a spectacularly glossy, custardy cheese interior is revealed. A bit like an instant fondue, the cheese, which hails from Badajoz in Extremadura, is designed to be dipped with bread sticks or spooned directly into your mouth. Made with sheep’s milk and cardoon rennet from the flowers of a native thistle, the flavour is unique. Meaty, boozy and with an addictive herbal bitterness.
Brindisa, £10/200g
To drink: Amontillado sherry. Acidity to cut through the goo but also nutty notes that mingle with the herbal bitterness.
Barkham Blue, England
A cheese that’s been made for 20 years and has won almost every award going is hardly under the radar but this Guernsey milk blue has been given a new lease of life. The original cheesemakers, Sandy and Andy Rose of Two Hoots in Berkshire, retired this year but passed the recipe into safe hands at nearby Village Maid (owned by Sandy’s cousin Anne Wigmore). Champion cheesemakers in their own right, Village Maid has built a new dairy just for Barkham to keep up with demand at Christmas. And the cheese is as good as it’s ever been. The yielding golden paste is luxuriously creamy with streaks of blue-green veins that add a subtle spice.
Village Maid Cheese, £8.50/250g
To drink: Tawny port is a classic for a reason. Christmas cake in a glass, the sweetness contrasts beautifully with the salty tones in the cheese.
