A classic combination of 4 traditional cheeses. Christmas wouldn't be the same without these. The platter includes:

Brie de Meaux 200g The original brie.  A wonderfully creamy cheese with a slightly nutty, fruity flavour and a mushroom aroma. Excellent served simply with water biscuits and grapes, or on crusty bread.  Allow it to warm to room temperature so that it is at its best ~ ripe and runny.... Yum!

Montgomery's Cheddar 200g Made in North Cadbury, Somerset, on the family 500 year old farm. Aged for 13 months or more, it has a golden interior and satisfying bite that delivers a perfect balance and a long lingering finish. Great with a British cask ale.

Colston Bassett Stilton 200g Colston Basset is a small dairy producing what is recognised as one of the best Stiltons. The blue is strong and salty balancing well with the creamy and mellow background.  One taste explains why Stilton is the king of English cheeses!

Hawes Wensleydale 200g A taste of Yorkshire. Hawes produces genuine Wensleydale cheese in a traditional way using milk from the nearby farms in the Dales. A beautiful crumbly, white, mild cheese with little zest. Try it alone, or in the traditional Yorkshire way with apple pie or fruit cake.

This selection is for when you just want something different. They are all fairly new cheeses (anything in the last decade is new in the cheesemaking world!). The selection includes:

Ardraham Smoked 200g An amazing range of tastes - mushrooms, flowers and citrus notes. Retains its strength when cooked so is an excellent all rounder. You may be reminded of kippers by the smoky aftertaste.

Tunworth Round 250g This cheese won 'The Best Cheese in Britain' award 2006.  A wonderful camembert style cheese produced in Hampshire. Try it with damson jam/puree for a treat.

Celtic Promise 200g This has a distinctive pinky orange rind with a fruity smell due to the fact it is ripened in cider. It has a supple texture and  spicy, aromatic flavour.

Staffordshire Organic 200g A velvety, fine textured cheese that is sweet and mild. This version has wild garlic added which gives it a pleasant bite.

Some special treats from Europe..........

Brie de Meaux 200g The original brie.  A wonderfully creamy cheese with a slightly nutty, fruity flavour and a mushroom aroma. Excellent served simply with water biscuits and grapes, or on crusty bread.  Allow it to warm to room temperature so that it is at its best ~ ripe and runny.... Yum! (unpasteurised cows milk)

Reypenaer Gouda 200g One of the greatest Dutch cheeses, this gouda is matured for a year. A soft and creamy texture with a sweet complex taste and a touch of salt. Eat just a little to experience a full flavour that lasts. (unpasteurised cows milk)

Manchego 200g A good example of this well known Spanish cheese made from sheep's milk.  It is hard in texture and has a sweet and nutty flavour.  Made in La Mancha, home of Don Quixote. (pasteurised sheeps milk)

Comte 200g A smooth, sweet cheese similar to gruyere but produced in France. It has a nutty, fudgy flavour and melts in the mouth. Really fresh tasting and one of our bestsellers. (unpasteurised cows milk)

We have a lot of customers who are allergic to cows milk so we put together this fantastic cheeseboard so they don't have to miss out. It has a rang of texures, colours and tastes -just like a cheese platter should!

The cheeses are:

Braffords Log 200g (approx) Made in small batches in the gently rolling hills of East Yorkshire. This goat cheese has a distinct robust and strong flavour and a marvellous creamy texture. Aged 3 to 6 weeks a faint smell of spring herbs is noted in its dense, buttery texture. Great on its own or use in risottos and tarts as the cheese melts beautifully.

Pyrenees Chevre 200g A white goats cheese from the Pyrenees. Unlike many other goats cheeses it has a fudgy rather than a fluffy texture.  The flavour is deep and sweet - if you are not familiar with it give it a try.

Berkswell 200g A hard sheeps cheese similar to pecorino, but made in England.  It has rich and complex flavours and a crystalline texture.  This exceptional cheese has won many prizes in recent years.

Lanark Blue 200g Similar to Roquefort in flavour and texture. This cheese changes between seasons and can be gentle with tastes of grass and herbs with a smokey suggestion of peat, then becomes sharper later in the year.  Try this with plums or pears - delicious.