Last Updated on 1 year by THE CHEESE TEAM
Discover our best festive cheeses for 2023!
It’s that time of year again when we are sitting down to plan our Christmas dinners and, most importantly, our Christmas cheeseboards!
The Christmas cheeseboard is the seasonal centrepiece for many, and we understand the pressure to get it just right. That cheese must taste good alongside your leftover turkey and mince pies, and it also has to satisfy a range of ages and palettes – no mean feat!
But there’s no need to panic: The Cheese Society are here to help. We have compiled a list of our best festive cheeses for 2023. Some are classics, some you may not have tried before. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
1.Smoked Tuxford and Tebbutt Stilton PDO
Smoked Stilton went down a treat in 2022, so we had to bring it back this year. This cheese is ideal for lovers of blue and smoked alike, as it has strong flavours of both. Pair it with a sweet fruit chutney to balance the flavours and you are onto a winner.p>
2. Yorkshire Blue
Yorkshire Blue is a buttery and sweet blue, perfect for pairing with the crumbly pastry of a mince pie and ideal for first-time blue eaters. The flavour deepens and complexifies with age, without compromising the creamy texture.
It is similar in style to our very popular Blue Monday, so if you are a fan of Alex James’ cheese, you must give Yorkshire Blue a try.
3. Godminster Organic Cheddar
We love cheeses which can be enjoyed by the whole family, and cheddar definitely fits the bill; none more so than the deliciously creamy and tangy Godminster Cheddar.
This cheese can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, on a cracker, or grated over those leftover roast potatoes (if there are any leftovers, that is). Plus, it comes in a beautiful burgundy wax, which just suits the Christmassy vibe down to a T.
4. Aettis
With a strong, nutty flavour characteristic of Alpine cheeses, Aettis endears itself by being just similar to Comte, but with that special something that makes it stand out.
Eaten at breakfast time in Switzerland with fresh bread, meats, and jam. We enjoy it grated over buttery, pan-fried mushrooms on toasted sourdough.
5. Vacherousse d’Argental
With the texture of clotted cream, and a fresh, lively flavour, Vacherousse is suitably decadent for any Christmas occasion. Made from fresh cow’s milk produced in the Lyonnais region of France, the rind is brushed in Annato to create a gorgeous orange colour which brightens up any cheeseboard.
6. Cabri D’Ici 
Goat’s cheese is extremely popular during the Christmas season. Cabri D’ Ici is a delightful little French goat’s cheese with an edible ash coating to aid digestion. It has a salty flavour and a mousse-like texture which pairs well with dry white wines.
This is an ideal cheese for goat-newbies.
7. Fowlers Sage Derby
No Christmas dinner is complete without stuffing, so we must mention Fowlers Sage Derby which brings the flavour of stuffing to the cheeseboard.
A buttery, firm cheese with a nutty hint, Sage Derby is packed with fresh-tasting sage that gives it a warming, earthy flavour. A real savoury treat.
8. Cabra Carino
Cabra Carino was one of our most requested cheeses in 2022, so it had to make an appearance on this list. This Spanish goat’s cheese is light and creamy, and infused with honey to give it a unique sweetness. It is a velvety, spreadable cheese, ideal for crusty bread and crackers.
9. Vacherin Mont D’Or
One of our most popular Christmas cheeses, this is a wonderfully soft, resin-scented, seasonal cow’s milk cheese that is best enjoyed during the colder months of the year.
Vacherin can be enjoyed at room temperature, or baked and served fondue style with crusty bread, crudités, and warm new potatoes.
10. Epoisses
Epoisses de Bourgogne AOC is a sticky, pale orange, double cream cheese. It is smear-ripened and washed in brine and MARC DE BOURGOGNE, the local pomace brandy. Its gorgeous orange colour makes it a beautiful centrepiece for a Christmas platter.
11. Isle of Mull Cheddar 
A flavourful cheddar, with a powerful and spicy taste. The cows are fed on whiskey grains during the colder months, which adds a deep and distinctive flavour to the cheese. Isle of Mull is one of our strongest cheddars and the perfect gift for the cheese-lover in your life.
12. Baron Bigod with Truffles
Baron Bigod with Truffles is an exquisite Suffolk-made, bloomy pasteurised cow’s milk cheese in the style of a classic Brie-de-Meaux with long-lasting flavours of warm earth, farmyard, and mushrooms, with occasional notes of citrus and truffle.
This exquisite cheese comes with the addition of black truffles mixed with crème fraiche sandwiched between the cheese. A true Christmas miracle.
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So, there are our best festive cheeses for 2023!
12 cheeses to get you started this Christmas. Be sure to browse our CHEESES for the full selection of our year-round and Christmas stock.
If you want some more festive joy, check out our 12 CHEESES OF CHRISTMAS VIDEO FROM 2016, created by our founder Kate, with the help of The Lincoln Cabra Choir.