CHRISTMAS CHEESE BOXES FROM MILK & MORE

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s never too early to be thinking about festive food and special gatherings.

To mark the occasion, the country’s leading online milk and grocery doorstep delivery service Milk & More has launched a new range of three exclusive festive cheese boxes, to help you serve up the most enviable of cheese boards for friends and family.

The range includes Cornish Christmas, Flavour of Christmas and British Champions, all offering a specially crafted selection of delicious, award-winning cheeses – the perfect addition to any grazing board or after dinner plate.  So which box are you choosing?

Food journalist, cheese writer, speaker and teacher, Patrick McGuigan says: “Christmas isn’t Christmas without a fully loaded cheeseboard. And the good news is there has never been so many delicious British cheeses to choose from, thanks to a remarkable cheesemaking revival in this country. From goat and sheep’s milk cheeses to blues, bries and goudas, there’s something for everyone in these carefully curated collections. A few tips to get the best from your board: serve cheese at room temperature. The flavour really opens up. And turn it into a festive feast with some creative accompaniments. Think a drizzle of honey, a dollop of chill jam or even panettone with blue cheese. Cheese season is here!”

Cornish Christmas, including three Cornish specialities:

• Cornish Blue – matured between 8-14 weeks, its flavour is described as mild and creamy, with a dense texture and buttery richness.  Instead of the ‘salty tang’ common of other traditional blue cheeses, it has a gentle sweetness
• Cornish Mature Gouda – aged 10-12 months, with a rich complex flavour while still holding a great moisture level, and beautiful crunch
• Cornish Yarg – a nettle wrapped semi hard cheese made from grass rich Cornish milk. Tangy under its natural rind and slightly crumbly in the core, it consistently wins top international awards. As the cheese matures, the edible wrap imparts a delicate, mushroomy taste and develops its unique bloomy white appearance.

Patrick comments: “Move over Stilton and Christmas cake. Buttery Cornish Blue purrs with hints of fruit and spice when it’s paired with panettone. Likewise, sweet, nutty Cornish Gouda is lifted by a handful of honey roast pecans or try nettle-wrapped Yarg with Pinot Noir. The leafy rind echoes the earthy notes in the red wine. Comfort and joy.”

Flavour of Christmas, packed full of fruity flavours:

• Cheddar with Worcestershire Honey & Figs – Blossom Honey, lovingly gathered by Croome’s resident bees, mixed with chopped figs and blended with mature cheddar
• Wensleydale & Cranberry – hand pressed on the Ashley Chase Estate in rural West Dorset.  The cheese is blended with dried, sweetened cranberries to create a cheese that is both open and flaky in texture, complemented with the tangy flavour of dried cranberries
• Rutland Red – made using a traditional recipe, this cheese is buttered, cloth-bound and matured for six months to produce a flaky, open texture cheese with a slightly sweet, caramelised flavour and rich golden orange colour. It is the only pasteurised Red Leicester produced in the county of Leicestershire.

Patrick says: “Festive colours and flavours abound in this trio of cheeses, so keep the accompaniments simple. The savoury tang of cloth-bound Rutland Red is intensified by sticky red onion marmalade, while the cheesecake sweetness of Wensleydale and Cranberries requires nothing more than a sourdough cracker. A fruity IPA works with all three, especially the honeyed cheddar.”

British Champions, offering a real taste of tradition:

• Westcombe Cheddar – a traditional cheddar cheese made with unpasteurised milk from Westcombe Farms own herd and matured on their farm
• Driftwood – a beautifully creamy and soft textured cheese, dusted in ash, with a geotrichum rind.  The texture is close and silky, with a pleasing saltiness becoming slightly peppery with age
• Bath Soft – soft and yielding with a white bloomy rind, once cut into it reveals an ivory coloured interior.  Wrapped in parchment paper with a red wax seal, this cheese dates back to the time of Admiral Lord Nelson who, in 1801, was sent some by his father as a gift. A mild and creamy, brie-style cheese. The flavour is mushroomy and creamy with a hint of lemons.

Patrick notes: “Ash-rolled Driftwood goat’s log looks French, but actually hails from Somerset. A lick of honey and the toasty notes of English sparkling wine are perfect partners for its lemony interior, while chilli jam takes brie-style Bath Soft to exciting new places – the fruity heat cuts through the goo. When it comes to cheddar, the crunch of piccalilli is always the answer.”

In the true spirit of Christmas, Milk & More has also added three limited edition festive single cheeses, to its extensive line up, including Godminster Black Truffle Organic Cheddar, Godminster Red Chilli Devil’s Dance Vintage Organic Cheddar, Cropwell Bishop Blue Stilton and Button Mill Baking Brie which are available to order now.

With Christmas delivery right up until the 23rd December, whether you’re planning ahead or catering for last minute guests, Milk & More has you covered.  Simply place an order before 9pm, for delivery by 7am the next morning, whether that’s cheese, crackers, last minute gifts, or an extra pint of milk!

For more information and to discover the full range, please visit: www.milkandmore.co.uk