NEW CHEESES ON THE BLOCK

Paxton & Whitfield expert Hero Hirsch reveals the new British cheeses you should have on your board this Christmas

Stichelton

(£30 per kg)

A silky-textured blue made by Joe Schneider in Welbeck, Nottinghamshire. stichelton (a 13thcentury name for the village of Stilton) is based on historic stilton recipes from the area. The unpasteurised milk and traditional methods used gives this cheese a wonderful balance of peppery blue mould, creaminess and savoury complexity. stichelton.co.uk

Sinodun hill (£9.95 per 200g) After reading an article on cheesemaking on holiday one year, Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow were inspired to start their own dairy and in 2014, began making sinodun hill. This pyramidshaped goat’s cheese has a fluffy texture and a pronounced nuttiness backed up with a gentle citrus tang. nortonandyarrow.co.uk

Barwheys (£29 per kg) A cheddar-style cheese, made in Ayrshire by Tricia Bey, barwheys has a long, complex flavour that starts off tangy before giving way to flavours of caramel, nuts and spice. barwheysdairy.co.uk Shepherd’s Store (£58 per kg)

The Grubb family of County Tipperary are veteran cheesemakers, already famous for their cashel and crozier blue cheeses. Only made in small quantities each year between March and October, shepherd’s store is their newest cheese. Made from local sheep’s milk, it has a nutty, butterscotch flavour that takes on a spiciness with age. cashelblue.com

Winslade

(£9.95 per 200g)

The second cheese from Stacey Hedges and Hampshire Cheeses, makers of the famous tunworth. Winslade is a soft, spruce wrapped cheese inspired by the classic mont d’or. More delicate than its French counterpart but with a rich, creamy interior and a distinct pine forest aroma. hampshirecheesesco.uk

Cornish kern (£30 per kg)

Recent Supreme Champion at the 2017 World Cheese Awards, Cornish kern is a new cheese from the makers of Cornish yarg. It is a hard, Alpine-style cheese with flavours of rich caramel, nuts and creamy butter. lynherdairies.co.uk