How to pick Christmas cheese for a cheeseboard

A fabulous board packed with all your favourite fromage is a Christmas day non-negotiable. Putting together the cheeseboard this year, but not sure where to start? It’s all about contrast. “Mix up different strengths and flavours, and allow around 100-150g per person,” suggests M&S dairy product developer, Rosie Eiduks. Which cheeses are a non-negotiable on Rosie’s board? “Our Colston Basset Stilton, creamy Somerset Brie, and rich, 5-Year-Aged Cornish Reserve Vintage Cheddar all fit the bill,” she says. Remember to take your cheeses out of the fridge around 30 minutes before serving, in order to enjoy their complex flavours.

Not all cheddar is created equal. Bring a truly special cheddar to your cheeseboard this Christmas with our exclusive 6-Year-Old Cornish Cruncher Mature Cheddar, encased in wax. It has a rich, intense flavour with irresistible crunchy, naturally forming calcium lactate crystals. Or opt for our muslin-wrapped Truffle Cheddar – creamy cheddar cheese blended with truffle for a rich and moreish savoury flavour.

Creamy brie will always be popular with your guests thanks to its decadent texture and intense flavour. Look out for our Somerset Brie, crafted with British milk by the experts at Lubborn Creamery, which should be an essential on your festive cheeseboard. Or take things up a notch with our new Hot Honey Brie Brulée – oozy, creamy baked brie with a hot honey and crispy cracking sugar top.

Creamy burrata is a festive treat, and this year we’ve taken this iconic Italian cheese up a notch with our new Baking Burrata, a first-to-market exclusive that's available in store from Wednesday 11 December. Designed to be served warm, it’s indulgent, rich and gooey when baked. It’s finished with a spicy Calabrian ‘nduja and golden ciabatta crumb. Serve as part of a bigger board, or as a dunkable, sharing snack in its own right, with crusty bread.

It’s not all about the cheese. Take your board to the next level with some irresistible accompaniments. Of course you’ll need crackers, in a range of sizes, shapes and flavours, but think about adding a crusty baguette or even a wedge of Christmas cake, too. Add colour and flavour with fruits like grapes, figs and slices of apple and pear. Chutneys will add acidity and sweetness – try our spiced Festive Chutney, British Ale and Onion Chutney and Bloody Mary Chutney. A drizzle of honey also works a treat, particularly with goat’s cheese and blue cheeses. Add a touch of magic with alcohol-steeped fruit like our Collection Peaches in Cognac, or Quince Paste.

You’ve served up a crowd-pleasing Christmas cheeseboard, now what to do with all those odds and ends left in the fridge? How about a rich stilton, pear and walnut galette, drizzled with honey? Or a comforting bowl of caramelised onion and cheddar pasta? If you’ve got a crowd coming round for festive drinks, Tom Kerridge’s mini cheese and pineapple toasties will go down a storm, while this cheesy Brussels sprout gnocchi pie is a comforting one-pot that uses up taleggio, parmesan and cheesy biscuits. For something zingy to liven up your tastebuds after all the rich festive flavours, try this elegant clementine and burrata salad with candied walnuts, or a honey-roast apple, pear and chicory salad flecked with punchy gorgonzola.