The oozy crowd-pleaser - Sharpham Camembert - £6.50 / 280g
It's a moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cows' milk cheese, Camembert is made in individual rounds which makes it perfect for baking. When heated, Sharpham Camembert becomes yielding, oozing and is perfect for dipping.
Sharpham Camembert is a unique combination of traditional Normandy methods and singular South Devon terroir. It's inspired by the much-loved French classic, but it is very much its own cheese.
The talking point cheese - Sharpham Rushmore £5.50 / 230g
Known as 'the mistake cheese', Sharpham Rushmore was serendipitously created when their farmer accidentally poured goat's milk into the same tank as some cow's milk. Determined to avoid any waste of milk, the cheesemakers continued to craft cheese with the mixed milk to see how it would taste. Delighted with their creation, the cheese went on to win the hearts of guests at a food show, before becoming an instant hit.
Rushmore is rich and creamy with a subtle floral sweetness and a lingering finish.
The highly decorated famous cheese - Sharpham Cremet £14.85 / 480g
Cremet was awarded the heralded 3-stars in the Great Taste Awards, putting them in the top 2% of the largest and most trusted food and drink awards on the planet. Handcrafted from goat's milk and cow's double cream, judges said the cheese was 'exquisite' and 'extraordinary' in blind taste tests.
With nothing else like it produced in the UK, Sharpham's Cremet has a subtle, fresh and creamy flavour, with a mousse like texture when young, deepening to a full, rich flavour with earthy undertones when ripe.
The new accompaniment - Sharpham Dairy Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam £4.50 / 230g
Introducing the new Sharpham Dairy Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam to adds a welcome kick to warming wintery flavours.
Perfectly balanced, it packs a punch with heat and sweetness in one delicious package. It's the perfect accompaniment with Christmas gammon, cold cuts or the all-important festive cheeseboard.
Top Tips from the Big Cheese - Greg Parsons
Greg believes there's no right or wrong way to building the ultimate cheeseboard – it's all about preference. Here are top tips for making cheese selections over Christmas.
How to pair wine and cheese
It's a good rule of thumb to pair cheese and wines with equal intensity. Generally, creamy soft cheeses pair beautifully with sparkling wines. If you're going for a cheese with a delicate character, avoid overpowering it with a full bodied red wine.
As you venture into the realm of complex aged cheeses, look for bold or fortified wines to match them with. It's also true what they say, what grows together, goes together. For example, Sharpham Wine and Cheese are made along the River Dart and the terroir shapes products that pair exceptionally well together.
How much cheese to serve?
If you plan to serve cheese as part of a meal, a typical recommendation is to provide 80g per person. However, over the Christmas period, guests may wish to savour the cheeseboard with drinks, so consider increasing the amount to 150g per person.
What cheeses to go for?
Opting for a variety of textures and characters is a guaranteed way to please everyone. A classic choice includes a blue cheese, a soft cheese, a semi-hard cheese, a cheddar and a goat's cheese.
Sharpham Dairy has gathered up some of the most popular cheeses in the 'Essential Devon Cheese Board' - £30. Includes the Devon classics; Sharpham Brie, Sharpham Rustic, Sharpham Ticklemore Goat, Quicke's Mature Cheddar and Ticklemore Devon Blue.
Top pairings for the Christmas season
Greg says, “I love the delicate floral notes of our Sharpham Rushmore paired with a light-bodied, aromatic white such as a sauvignon blanc.
“Christmas is a time for popping open the bubbly, which I would pair with one of my favourites – our brie. A good brie is a Christmas cheeseboard essential. I'd also pair our Sharpham Brie with something with a little acidity like apple or plums.”
Final tips:
Once cheese has been cut into, it's best eaten within a couple of weeks. (That's Christmas notes that the life of our cheeses once open is often measured in days or even hours rather than weeks!)
Don't forget to take cheese out of the fridge an hour or two before serving to come up to room temperature.
Do chat to your cheesemonger - they're often a font of knowledge and eager to introduce you to new cheeses, offer tasters and help build the perfect cheeseboard.
To learn more or to buy cheeses and gift vouchers please visit https://sharphamcheese.co.uk.