FOOD NEWS Cheese for sharing, plus the best hampers
A cheeseboard after Christmas dinner is as traditional as plum pudding, and experts say that Stilton is still the first choice. But what else could you serve?
There’s currently a resurgence in interest in British regional cheeses, and Sarah Stewart from artisanal cheese shop Neal’s Yard Dairy, tells us she will be serving a rich Montgomery’s cheddar and either an Appleby’s Cheshire or a Kirkham’s Lancashire. ‘Sticking with the traditional theme, I’d also have a Caerphilly made from goats’ milk and a European-style soft cheese that’s been made in the UK.’ Meanwhile, at long-established Paxton & Whitfield, Hero Hirsh advises serving fewer cheeses in bigger quantities. ‘More than four is confusing on the palette,’ she says. Her choice would be a soft brie marbled with truffle, a cheddar or gouda, and her wildcard would be Ossau Iraty, a sweet and fudgy cheese from the Pyrenees.
And the best time to break out the cheeseboard? ‘Several hours after lunch, when the chaos has died down,’ says Sarah, ‘with slices of apple to cleanse the palate.’