Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year. And we’ve got the 5 best English cheeses you need for Christmas this year. Ranging from hard to soft, through blue, these cheeses will elevate your Christmas meals with a bit of English flair.
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Our rationale
As always, the key to a perfect cheese platter is to balance the texture and flavour of your cheeses. And, for me, five is the magic number. For our Christmas English cheese platter, we have chosen two pressed cheeses, one soft white mould, one soft washed rind and a spectacular blue cheese!
1. Montgomery Cheddar
Montgomery Cheddar is a clothbound hard cheese from North Cadbury in Somerset, England. Actually, the Montgomerys have been making this Cheddar at Manor Farm for three generations now.
When Jamie Montgomery took over the family business in the mid 90’s, he was determined to create a cheese that was different to the ubiquitous “supermarket” Cheddars. In order to do so, he wanted to make a cheese with a slightly drier texture and much more depth of flavour.
The flavour of this cheese actually varies remarkably depending on the day of the week that it is made on. The reason for this is because they change the starter culture that they use every day over the course of a week. As such, this unique Cheddar’s flavour can range from meaty and brothy to sweet and fruity. Enjoy this one with an equally complex red wine such as a Malbec, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.
2. Lancashire Bomb
The Lancashire Bomb, also known as the Black Lancashire Bomb, is a small British hard cheese wrapped in customary black wax. Unsurprisingly, it gets its name from its unusual appearance and it is indeed a fitting moniker.
Nowadays, their small team out of Goosnargh handmake this delectable cheese using traditional Lancashire cow’s milk. Furthermore, each little “bomb” is wrapped in muslin and then dipped into wax. Afterwards, they head to the maturation rooms for a minimum of 24 months. The end result is a hard cheese with a remarkably creamy texture and a complex mature flavour with subtle sour notes.
This is truly a case where the cheese can be served by itself. However, you can also serve it with pickles and crusty bread and wash it down with a bold red wine like a Grenache.
3. Tunworth
Tunworth is a soft white mould cheese made by Hampshire Cheeses using a Camembert inspired recipe in England. Tunworth, hand-made from pasteurised cow’s milk, is different to most British soft cheeses because it has a thin wrinkly rind rather than the typical thick flat white coat. The rind is developed using a Geotrichum candidum mould that adds a signature earthiness to the cheese.
Under the white rind lies a straw coloured paste that is rich and oozy with a distinct cabbage aroma. Furthermore, the flavour is milky, nutty and vegetal with subtle hints of garlic and salami. Gently bake your Tunworth in the oven and let it ooze! Serve with lavosh or warm crusty bread and summer berries. Wash it down with a glass of Bordeaux or Beaujolais.
4. May Hill Green
We round up our best English cheeses for Christmas with a stunning original cheese dressed in green. May Hill Green is a soft washed rind cheese made by Charles Martell & Son in Gloucestershire, England.
To make this cheese, the Martells use pasteurised milk from their Gloucester and Friesian cows. Once they have added the rennet and culture, they press the curds. Finally, the cheesemaker coats the wheels of young cheese with chopped nettle leaves and hold them together with a beechwood lath.
Overall, the nettles impart quite a unique aroma and flavour to this British wonder. The strong funky aroma is reminiscent of a pair of dirty socks while the flavour is lactic and savoury with notes of chicken broth. Furthermore, its mouthfeel is decadent and buttery. And May Hill Green pairs brilliantly with a crisp dry Riesling or a smokey Bourbon.
5. Colston Bassett Stilton
Colston Bassett Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the midlands of England since 1913. The PDO dictates that Stilton can only be made in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire from locally sourced pasteurised cow’s milk. These expansive plains among the moors in the heart of England offer lush forage for the cattle, which is clearly reflected in the final product.
Colston Bassett Stilton has a trademark buttery texture that will melt in your mouth. On the palate, it is full-bodied and has a mellow fruity and savoury complexity. Enjoy this classic blue with a glass of fortified wine such as Port, or a dark stout.
So there you have our best English cheeses for your Christmas platter
We hope that you enjoyed our 5 Best English cheeses for Christmas. Did we miss any of your favourites? Drop us a comment below.
Jonah is a a hipster, eco-warrior and slow food afficionado. Coming from a scientific background, Jonah has a particular interest in cheese science. And yes, he loves a good cheese pun!
