The best Christmas chocolate and cheese – tested by Anna Haugh | Christmas food and drink
M&S Vintage Red Fox Red Leicester With Chilli
200g, £4.50, marksandspencer.com
Mild, sweet and spicy – it’s not very strong. I’m a cheese snob but if people don’t really like cheese, something like this is a good one to have on a cheeseboard for them.
★★★
Asda Extra Special Queso de Oveja Con Ajo Negro
(Sheep’s Cheese With Black Garlic)
150g, £4, asda.com
Marmite? Mushroom? The texture is plasticky, but the ripple through it is interesting. What is it? Black garlic! Lovely fermented flavour.
★★★
Cullum
£11.25 per 250g, paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk
Delicious. Sheep’s milk? A lovely creaminess but with that acidity … I could eat a lot of that. We should eat more sheep’s cheese.
★★★★
Yarlington
220g, £10, thecheesegeek.com
I love a washed rind cheese. It’s got a nutty flavour, but doesn’t have any of the excitement I associate with a washed rind. This is a cheese that needs to be a bit warmer. Maybe it’s a bit young?
★★★
Asda Extra Special Montagnolo Affiné
120g, £2.50, asda.com
This has a funny marbling of blue. It’s like gorgonzola meets stilton. It’s delicious. It’s salty and creamy and easy on the palate, so it would be a crowd pleaser.
★★★★
BEST BUY
Aldi Specially Selected Exquisite 50 Month Aged Vintage Cheddar
400g, £3.99, aldi.co.uk
Has the nice salt crystals you want from vintage cheddar. It’s got a nice tanginess. If it’s well priced, this is brilliant value.
★★★★★
Mouse’s Favourite Vegan Camembert Style
135g, £8.99, mousesfavourite.com
Great appearance, and a good flavour. I love the rind. I’m really impressed.
★★★★
Honestly Tasty Vegan Blue
100g, £6.50, honestlytasty.co.uk
It’s impressive to get a vegan blue – really shows how far vegan cheese has come. The flavour could be more complex but it’s a great step forward.
★★★
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sour Cherry & Prosecco Chutney
210g, £1.75, sainsburys.co.uk
It tastes like mince pie … ish. It has that finishing acidity….
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