English Cheeseboard Selection

Description

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

THE CHEESES

Lincolnshire Poacher — 200g

Made by Simon and Tim Jones at Ulceby Grange Farm on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds — just down the road from us. The Jones family has been running the farm since 1917, with Simon representing the fourth generation, and he started making cheese here in 1992 using only unpasteurised milk from their own herd. The result sits somewhere between a West Country cheddar and an Alpine mountain cheese — savoury and brothy up front, giving way to a fruity sweetness on the finish. Dense, complex, and deeply satisfying.

Unpasteurised cow’s milk. Animal rennet. Not suitable for pregnant women.

Barber’s 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar — 300g

Daniel Barber first started making cheese at Maryland Farm in 1833, just down the road from the village of Cheddar itself — kicking off what is now the world’s longest-running family cheesemaking tradition. Six generations later, the same farm, the same methods, and crucially the same traditional starter cultures — the only family still guardians of these original bacteria, which give 1833 its unique complexity. Aged for at least 24 months, it only leaves the farm with the 1833 stamp when one of the Barber family judges it to be outstanding. Creamy, tangy, with a distinctive crystalline crunch and a finish that lasts.

Pasteurised cow’s milk. PDO West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.

Baron Bigod — 250g

Jonny Crickmore’s stated ambition from the beginning was to make a Brie better than the French — and Baron Bigod has now replaced French Brie on many UK cheese counters. Made at Fen Farm Dairy in the Waveney Valley in Suffolk, from the farm’s own grass-fed Montbéliarde cows’ milk, made by hand in small batches. Beneath the nutty, mushroomy rind, the paste breaks down to a smooth, silky golden interior — warm buttery flavours balanced with earthy mushroom notes and a delicate nutty finish. Serve at room temperature and give it time. It’s worth it.

Pasteurised cow’s milk. Animal rennet. Not suitable for pregnant women.

Colston Bassett Stilton — 200g

The gold standard. Colston Bassett has been making Stilton in the Vale of Belvoir since 1913 and remains one of only a handful of dairies with a licence to produce it. Theirs is still hand-ladled — a slower, gentler process that preserves more moisture, producing a creamier, more yielding texture than most Stiltons. Bold, rich, and complex, with the blue running all the way through. The biggest flavour on this board and the natural anchor of any cheeseboard worth its salt.

Pasteurised cow’s milk. Vegetarian rennet.

THE EXTRAS

Grasmere Red Onion Marmalade — Made on the farm to our own recipe. Slow-cooked, properly sweet and sticky, with enough acidity to cut through the richness of the Stilton and the creamier cheeses. This is the jar you’ll be putting on everything else once the cheeseboard is gone (amazing when added to cheese on toast!).

Peter’s Yard Mini Sourdough Crackers — Swedish-style crispbread with a long slow ferment and a proper crunch. Clean enough not to compete with the cheese, sturdy enough to hold a generous wedge of Poacher.

BUILDING THE BOARD

Take everything out of the fridge at least an hour before serving — cheese needs to come to room temperature to open up properly. Start with the Barber’s and Poacher at one end, Baron Bigod opposite, Stilton in a corner of its own with the marmalade alongside it.

Serve with: red or green grapes, dried figs, walnuts, and a drizzle of honey if you have it. For drinks, a glass of Sauternes alongside the Stilton is one of the great British cheese pairings. The Poacher and Barber’s are brilliant with a well-kept pale ale or a glass of something from Burgundy.

This board comfortably serves 4–6 as a standalone cheeseboard, or 6–8 as part of a larger spread.

ALLERGENS Contains: MILK.

The Lincolnshire Poacher and Baron Bigod contain unpasteurised.