If you’re one of those people for whom no meal is complete without a layer of delicious, melty cheese, then you know that it’s more than a foodstuff; it’s a dietary requirement.
While some people want the latest tech or something sparkly under the tree, others just want a wedge of strong cheese and some quiet time.
So, we’ve rounded up our favourite gift ideas - for all the cheese lovers.
The cheese experience
What could be better than a day spent in the company of cheese and like-minded cheese aficionados? The Urban Cheesemaker’s one-day cheese making courses allow you to sample all types of cheese, before you try your hand at making your own hard, curd and soft cheeses to take home with you. You can basically call yourself an artisan cheesemaker after this.
The homemade hamper
Nothing says you care more than a homemade hamper packed full of delicious cheese, chutneys and relishes. Pick up a build-your-own hamper and then start adding in their favourite fromages. Then pair with a bottle of champagne and a jar of acacia honey with white truffle for a truly indulgent bespoke gift.
The partyclette
Want to get the Christmas party started? Gift your friend a partyclette and then invite yourself round for dinner. Raclette – a blanket of melted cheese, which is typically served over new potatoes with baby onions and cornichons – is the perfect sharing dish for cheese connoisseurs.
The partyclette means you can enjoy your oozy, melting cheese at the table (and go back for seconds.) You can also customise your feast, adding different types of cheese to the mix and curating your sides, from vegetables to breads and cured meats.
The wheel of cheese
This is a real investment, but it’s the gift that will keep on giving - and giving. A 36kg wheel or 18kg half-wheel of cheese is pure indulgence. It makes a showstopper centrepiece for any wedding or party (it equates to approx. 250 servings), or you can use it to finish your risottos and pastas in – you simply place your rice or pasta in the slightly hollowed out wheel, letting the cheese slowly melt and combine with your meal before serving.
Alternatively, just take your friend to Camden Market hotspot Kerb in the New Year and they'll prepare your pasta for you.
The tools
Every master needs the right tools. Treat them to this chic slate board and rose gold knife set so they can carve their cheese in style.
The cheese manual
As Michel Roux's intro tells us: "At once simple and complex, comforting yet sophisticated, with its myriad types of texture and taste, cheese is a dream ingredient for a chef." And who are we to disagree? Gift your friend this essential cooking guide (and then invite yourself round for dinner.)
The cheese subscription
They'll never go hungry for cheese again with a monthly subscription box winging its way to their doormat. There are plenty to choose from, but we like the The Elvis cheese box from The Cheese Geek - for the name and for the monthly mix of all-time greats and innovative cheeses. With new surprise cheeses arriving every month, we camembert the anticipation.
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Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.
