Ho! Ho! Ho! Cheesy1’s,

As Christmas eve is now just a week away the feeding frenzy will begin very shortly! So when it comes to cheese what tips & cheeses should you be taking into consideration? Find out more below.

Tips for a perfect festive board

• Well to start a portion of cheese is roughly 65g-100g  per person per cheese. That should help getting too much but hey all the more for you right?!
• Go nuts by getting creative with flavoured foods e.g. nuts as this can add a new layer of taste to a cheese.
• Like to add colour to a cheese board? But are you a traditionalist with cheese? Add colour using biscuits instead of flavoured cheese.
• Start by building the foundations: Cheddar/ Hard, Soft, Blue, Other Milk. You can then add more cheese from there.
• Don’t be afraid to mix countries on a board although it is popular to be all British at the moment on a board.
• Have multiple pairings available to cater for all tastes at the dinner table from Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten free etc.
• Bake a soft cheese such as Tunworth, Camembert, Reblochon or Vacherin as a centrepiece for a cheese board.
• Most importantly enjoy the time with your Family & Friends.

Cheesy1’s four festive favourites

• Stoney Cross: Stoney Cross is the youngest offering from Lyburn Farmhouse. Lyburn farm have a herd of around 170 cows which they milk themselves, this allows them to create consistently high quality milk. At 8 weeks old it is creamy, buttery in texture, sweet flavours, with a distinctly earthy finish. The name Stoney Cross name comes from an old World War II airfield 2 miles to the South of Lyburn, Landford. Perfect with a light white wine.

• Cropwell Bishop Beauvale: Developed by Robin Skailes to be a deliciously rich & creamy blue cheese like its continental cousins. Named after “Beau” (Beautiful) “Vale” (Vale of Belvoir) with the accompanying logo created by Cropwell Bishop school children. ØIt is matured for 7 weeks with the aid of a specially designed refrigeration unit from France. Stir through pasta or place on a steak for two decadent serving suggestions.

• Cornish Kern: Lynher dairies is based in Truro, Cornwall and has been making cheese since the 1980s. It’s most famous being nettle wrapped Yarg cheese. Kern means ’round’ in Cornish and is made in the same open vats as Yarg and goes through the same pressing & brining as Yarg. Kern is very different though from its coated protective black wax like rind and its maturity of between 14 – 18 months. The results are a gouda style cheese which is quite flaky and almost dry with a profound nutty flavour. Early examples of Kern were entered into national cheese awards where it won numerous awards. In a short space of time Lynher had to accelerate the making ready for its launch in 2017. Kern was crowned Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards 2017 out of 3,000 entries. Try with a gingerbread for a pairing with a difference.

• Belton Farm Red Fox: Cheese has been made at Belton Farm since 1922 by the Beckett family. Belton Farm is 420 acres and the land has been certified organic since 2002. They use milk within 25 miles for the best possible quality and to support local farms. Developed over a two-year period for the perfect recipe it has been made since 2011. Red Fox is named after the weather vane that adorns their Farmhouse at Belton Farm. Perfectly strong & crunchy this will change your opinion of a Red Leicester! Eat with pork pie for a sharp & rich delight.

Another year is drawing to a close and the fire is all glow so all that remains to say is a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all my Cheesy1’s out there.

See you all when I return in early 2020!

The Cheesy1