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12 best cheeses for your Christmas sharing board
Expert-approved options for the ultimate cheeseboard
Tested by Callum BlackFood and Drink Testing Manager
A cheeseboard is the perfect way to round off your festive feast. It encourages your guests to linger around the table and is ideal for grazing on while you argue over board games and enjoy a glass of port or two.
Not sure where to start? The Good Housekeeping Institute has collated the best cheese gifts, hampers and readymade cheeseboards to help you get ready for the big day, and we’ve spoken to the experts to get their tips on how to assemble your cheese line-up of dreams.
Best cheese for Christmas 2024
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Paxton & Whitfield Maron Glacier Trinity 200g
Read review - 5
How to create the ultimate cheeseboard
The secret to curating the perfect Christmas cheeseboard is to include a variety of textures and tastes to suit every guest. Classic selections tend to include a white or bloomy-rinded cheese such as camembert or brie, a harder, crowd-pleasing option like cheddar or comté, and a stronger blue, such as stilton or gorgonzola.
If you’ve got a whole host of cheese lovers coming for Christmas (or want to eke out the cheeseboard long into the new year), then we advise adding a goat's cheese or something a little special like an Époisses or Vacherin Mont d'Or.
That said, Danielle Bliss, cheese buyer at Paxton & Whitfield, argues that we should simply pick cheeses we love. “Choose cheeses that will make you want to return to the board again and again,” she says. “For example, blue cheese is particularly popular at Christmas, and is at peak quality during the winter months, but if you don’t love blue cheese, don’t feel obliged to include it!”.
“If you’re catering for a group, then three to five cheeses is a good place to start, taking texture, strength and flavour into consideration,” she adds.
“This year I’m loving hard goat’s cheeses that have been made with summer milks. I also adore more unusual alpine cheeses such as Wildblutenkase or Schnebelhorn, which are perfect if you’re a fan of comté and gruyere but are looking to try something new.”
What to pair with a Christmas cheeseboard
“Aged cheddars, blues and washed-rinds are full of umami and lovely sweetness – try them with a sweet, sticky red onion marmalade,” recommends Ned Palmer, cheese expert and author of A Cheesemonger's Compendium of British & Irish Cheese. “Tangy chutneys are splendid with creamy cheeses like the famously aromatic Stinking Bishop or the Brie-style Baron Bigod,” he adds.
As for crackers, he says, “plain, unflavoured biscuits are best, and the bread should be sourdough to allow the flavours to sing.” Though fruits are often found on cheeseboards, it's best to use these as a palate cleanser between each cheese.
What to drink with the Christmas cheeseboard
And for that perfect festive tipple, Ned recommends an “off-dry white or lighter red with soft tannins and juicy red fruits that will not overwhelm the flavour.” Of course, if you prefer yours with a glass of port or champagne, then that’s encouraged, too.
How to serve the Christmas cheeseboard
Ned’s advice is to take the cheese out the fridge at least 40 minutes before serving to avoid chilly, muted flavours. “Serve them in order of intensity, from young and mild to old and strong, and, most importantly, discuss your tasting with your family and friends – proper good cheese should make you happy,” he says.
How we test Christmas cheese
Our panel of experts sampled 34 cheeses from the leading supermarkets and cheesemongers to find their favourites. They were looking for stunning centrepieces that would contribute to a well-curated board, as well as selections that offered a variety of tastes and textures.
Additional points were scored for presentation and extras such as condiments, wine and crackers.
Score: 94/100
If you buy just one cheese this Christmas, make it Paxton & Whitfield’s truly innovative Kaldi. The goat’s cheese is a collaboration with Rave Coffee, and is coated in a fruity, nutty Brazilian blend.
And while we appreciate that coffee-brined cheese sounds slightly bonkers, our experts thought the pairing was incredible. The cheese will add a real point of difference to your selection, and would be equally delicious served alongside red wine, port, or an after-dinner espresso.
Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Selection Pack 625g
Score: 93/100
If you’re unsure where to start when building the perfect cheeseboard, Aldi’s inexpensive five-piece selection covers all bases. From a creamy camembert to a distinctive crumbly blue goat’s cheese, it presents great value, and our testers agreed it was “the perfect all-rounder.”
Available 6th December 2024
Score: 89/100
These days, no Christmas cheeseboard is complete without a decadent truffle-flavoured wedge making an appearance. Daylesford’s organic mini Penyston (a type of creamy brie) incorporates black truffle into the curd, allowing the naturally earthy flavour to develop as the cheese matures.
Score: 88/100
Marrons glacés are more commonly seen in Parisian desserts, but Paxton & Whitfield has taken the candied glazed chestnut, and used it as a sweet, nutty layer within its buttery triple cream cheese. A seasonal update with a difference, it would make a special gift for the cheese connoisseur in your life.
Available: 2nd December 2024
Score: 88/100
An excellent cheddar is the cornerstone of any Christmas cheeseboard, and Godminster’s organic offering is presented in a suitably festive star shape. It proved quite the crowd pleaser with our testers, thanks to the crunchy salt crystals dotted throughout the rich, creamy cheese. Serve with sweet onion chutney and quality crackers.
Score: 86/100
For those who appreciate the finer things in life, there really is no better gift than this four-piece luxury cheese selection from upmarket department store Fortnum & Mason.
Inside, you’ll find generous servings of the brand’s best-selling cheeses — blue stilton, aged cheddar, decadent triple cream cheese and lemony goat’s cheese — alongside walnut and seed crackers, fig jam and Fortnum’s spicy Cotes du Rhone.
Score: 85/100
Taking inspiration from the bold flavours of the Reuben sandwich, this ready-to-bake Emmental cheese is laced with pieces of pickled gherkin and pastrami. The runny fondue-like texture is fantastic with crudités and crusty bread for Christmas Day or your next cosy night in.
Available: 6th November 2024
Score: 85/100
Tesco’s extensive range of ready-to-serve party food helps make hosting easier, with something to suit every budget. This booze-spiked French baked brie is a great example — elevated with a winter spiced blackberry, plum and port glaze and a sprinkling of crunchy pistachios, it’s ready for the oven. The generous size makes it perfect for larger gatherings too.
Available: 11th November 2024
Score: 83/100
Daylesford’s all-organic cheeseboard contains four 200g pieces of its pasteurised British cheese, presented on a smart, reusable slate board.
Made in its on-site creamery in the Cotswolds, you can look forward to a fresh, tangy cheddar, a sweet and creamy Gloucester, a rich and nutty Aldestrop and the Daylesford Blue. In other words, the perfect cheeseboard. Just add crackers.
Score: 83/100
It simply wouldn’t feel like Christmas without cheese and crackers. London bakery Cutter & Squidge has cleverly combined the crackers and cookies they bake in-house, with an assortment of Mouse House cheddars, chutneys and crisps to serve alongside.
We think it offers great value, and for cheese fans, the innovative cacio e pepe bites (based on the 'cheese and pepper' Italian pasta) are heaven sent.
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Whipped Brie with Festive Fruits and Port 220g
Score: 83/100
For something a little different on this year’s cheeseboard, try this whipped brie from Sainsbury’s. The French cow’s milk cheese has been turned into an airy, creamy dip, and is topped with festive spiced chutney that would work well on a sweet biscuit.
Available: 4th December 2024
Score: 82/100
Flavoured cheeses can be divisive; however, for some, the festive cheeseboard simply wouldn’t feel complete without one. Aldi has infused its Red Leicester with Geeta’s mango chutney to create sweet, fruity pops of flavour throughout.
Available: 24th November 2024
These also passed...
- Cheese Geek Genesis, £55 for 800g, Score: 81/100
- Asda Exceptional Swiss Gruyere Bake, £7 for 300g, Score: 81/100
- Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Brie with Truffle, £6 for 300g, Score: 81/100
- Aldi Luxury Cheese Truckle Tower, £12.99 for 1kg, Score: 81/100
- Morrisons The Best 'Best of British' Cheese Board, £8 for 480g, Score: 81/100
- Cartwright & Butler The Ultimate Cheeseboard Hamper (with red wine), £120, Score: 78/100
- Iceland Luxury Cheese Selection, £7.50 for 460g, Score: 78/100
- Shepherd's Purse Buffalo Blue, £8.80 for 170g, Score: 78/100
- Asda Exceptional Camembert de Pays & Fig, Whisky & Spiced Honey Glaze, £9 for 280g, Score: 78/100
- Co-op Irresistible Baking Camembert with Hedgerow Fuits Glaze and Dried Fruit Topping, £5.50 for 280g, Score: 78/100
- Aldi Coastal Cheddar & Pineapple Wedges, £2.49 for 200g, Score: 76/100
- Iceland Cathedral City Melting Pot, £3.50 for 200g, Score: 72/100
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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