Christmas cheese gift ideas
For those that want to be the envy of their friends by offering the best cheeseboard this Christmas, here are some Christmas cheeseboard and gift ideas to help them choose a cheese platter that will delight everyone. As well as general advice to help you create your own ideal Christmas cheese delivery there is also links to pre-designed selection boxes, to help take the thinking out of it!
You can order now for Christmas cheese deliveries! At checkout you can choose a future delivery date for you cheese to arrive, right up to Christmas.
The classic Christmas cheeseboard
Cheddar, Stilton and Brie… the classic combination that is tried and tested – and the reason it is turned to time and time again is that it offers a perfect combination and balance of flavours and textures from three outstanding choices. Brie de Meaux, a good Stilton (like Colston Bassett) and a West-Country Cheddar (Keen’s or Montgomery’s) are famed the world over, and rightly so.
For something along those lines but just a little bit different, however, these three cheeses will fit the bill nicely: the amazing Baron Bigod Brie (as good as any French!), Stichelton (the fantastic unpasteurised Stilton-style) and Hafod Cheddar (a rich buttery cloth-bound Cheddar with a gentle tang). They are all available as part of The Courtyard Dairy’s Classic Cheeseboard Selection and Christmas Cheeseboard Box.
An all English Christmas cheeseboard
With English cheese getting better and better it’s now possible to offer a diverse range of English artisan cheese, from spicy and 
sumptuous, to goats and gooey, to rich and runny. It is easier than ever to create an all-English cheeseboard, there is no longer any need for them all to be hard and cheddar-like alongside the Stilton. It’s easy to create a balanced Christmas cheeseboard with a range of textures, flavours, milk types and strengths.
Create one yourself using the English cheeses listed here, or have a look at ‘England’s Best Cheeses Selection Box’.
Traditional cheese box
England is famed for its hard territorial cheeses, and, rightly, they are best sellers. When creating a traditional English cheeseboard, you can still get a cross section. Get a good crumbly (Wensleydale, Lancashire, Cheshire or Caerphilly), a supple milder cheese (double Gloucester, red Leicester), and a strong tangy Cheddar. The traditional way to finish a territorial cheeseboard is of course with Stilton or Dorset’s famous Blue Vinny.
Using this advice it’s easy to create your own or, for any easier option view The Courtyard Dairy’s ‘Traditional English Cheese Box’ here.
Go French
It would be rude to forget our French cousins. The likes of Comté, the fresh goats’ cheeses of the Loire and the powerful blue cheeses from the Auvergne are hard to beat. Re-create a ‘joyeux noel’ by having an all-French cheeseboard. See The Courtyard Dairy’s French Cheese Selection here.
Something different, unusual and new…
Brand new English cheeses are coming available all the time, either recreating traditional cheeses – such as red Leicester being made again in Leicestershire – or brand new inventions – like the brilliant Old Winchester, a Gouda/Cheddar cross. In fact over 60% of The Courtyard Dairy’s farmhouse cheeses have been ‘born’ in the last 15 years!
The adventurous could opt for something different for a Christmas cheese delivery this year, some new delicious cheeses that are definitely unusual. Read Andy Swinscoe’s article here on a cheeseboard with a difference, or have a look at the curious and unusual cheese gift selections online.
It is best to order now to ensure your cheese is delivered in time for Christmas. Orders are accepted up to 20th December (for delivery 23rd latest), but Christmas week is a very busy time for couriers, so deliveries at that time can sometimes be delayed. To be on the safe side, therefore, it may be better to order now for a delivery date before 19th December, which should guarantee you’ll receive your order on time. If you place your order now as part of the checkout you can choose a delivery date for the future (i.e. closer to Christmas)
Those wanting to know how to create the perfect Christmas cheese platter should click here to suss-out Andy’s detailed advice.
You can view the full range of The Courtyard Dairy’s Christmas cheeses here, or click here to view the pre-set Christmas cheese selections and gift boxes.