For true cheese aficionados, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a celebration cheeseboard – and ’tis the season to pull out all the stops.
Our collection of Christmas hampers – from our Christmas Cheeseboard Hamper and Luxury Cheese & Wine Hamper to our Christmas Cheese & Port Wicker Hamper – are filled with everything required to kickstart a bespoke sharing platter to impress your guests. Award-winning cheeses and creamy cheese bakes. Crunchy crackers and traditionally made chutneys. Some even have delicious artisan additions such as cocoa-dusted salted caramel truffles.
These hampers are a delicious base to which you can add your favourite festive flourishes – fresh figs, berries, charcuterie, breads – as well as a selection of seasonal decorations to make it your own.
Served as an indulgent Christmas Eve feast or as the final course on the big day itself, a well-crafted cheeseboard is always keenly anticipated – and this won’t disappoint. Here, we share our step-by-step guide to building the ultimate Christmas cheeseboard.
Choose your cheese
Start with the hero of any cheeseboard: the cheese, of course. We recommend choosing three to five Snowdonia cheeses, mixing different styles and flavour profiles across the board – and our hampers are each filled with a wide, ready-chosen selection. For optimum flavour, remember to remove the truckles from the fridge for 1-2 hours to reach room temperature before cutting and serving.
Here are some of our most popular choices:
Black Bomber: Creamy extra mature Cheddar with intense, deeply savoury flavour notes
Beech Wood: Mature Cheddar, naturally cold-smoked over beechwood for a mellow depth and warmth
Truffle Trove: Luxuriously rich extra mature Cheddar infused with Italian Black Summer truffle
Red Storm: Complex and refined vintage Red Leicester with sweet caramel notes
Rock Star: Smooth and creamy vintage Cheddar, matured in Welsh slate caverns
Build your cheeseboard
1. Select a large slate or wooden board as your canvas, giving yourself enough room to arrange the cheeses and accompaniments without crowding them together.
2. Next, cut the cheeses into varying shapes – such as slices, wedges and cubes – for visual contrast, and place them around the board. (Visit our cheese cutting guide for inspiration.)
3. If you’re making a non-veggie board, add further savoury notes with slices of good-quality cured meat. Iberico ham works beautifully, as does salami.
4. Fresh fruits such as grapes or figs offer a sweet contrast to the cheeses and charcuterie, as well as a splash of colour. Pomegranate is particularly festive, while dried apricots or cranberries are delicious additions too.
5. Add a mix of nuts or a handful of Perelló Maize Kernels for crunch. Walnuts work especially well with mature Cheddar, while almonds are an easy crowd-pleaser.
6. All good cheeseboards need great biscuits – and our Fig & Cranberry Crackers pack plenty of sweet and fruity flavour.
7. Add chutneys in small bowls for easy dipping and dolloping. Balsamic Caramelised Onion Chutney is a favourite with Black Bomber, while the rich earthiness of Truffle Trove pairs beautifully with Fig & Apple Chutney. Discover more ideas in our guide to the perfect cheese and chutney pairings for your Christmas cheeseboard
8. Scatter fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme around the board for a touch of greenery and a seasonal aroma.
Christmas cheeseboard presentation ideas
Once you’ve mastered the classic board, there are plenty of ways to give your Christmas cheeseboard a charmingly festive shape.
For an eye-catching Christmas Eve spread, try our Christmas Tree Cheeseboard. Snowdonia cheeses are arranged in the shape of a festive evergreen with olives and pomegranate tucked between them, while sprigs of rosemary create the branches.
Another option is our Charcuterie Wreath Cheeseboard, made with Black Bomber, Rock Star and Red Storm arranged in a wreath with salami, fresh fruit and herbs. It makes a striking sharing starter for festive entertaining.
Or have some fun with a Charcuter-tree Cheeseboard. Beech Wood, Green Thunder and Truffle Trove are arranged across the board like ribbons of tinsel, with grapes and figs filling the spaces in between. It’s easy to adapt with your own favourite festive additions – add berries, nuts, olives or seasonal fruits to make it uniquely yours.
Feeding more people? Take inspiration from our Christmas Cheese Grazing Board, with plenty of room for extra cheeses and accompaniments. Snowdonia Cheese Bakes are a delicious addition too, served straight from their terracotta ramekins with crusty bread for dipping.
Pro tips for presentation
● Colour and texture: Take your cues from our truckles’ distinctive wax casings and choose accompaniments that add contrasting colours around the board. Cutting the cheeses in different ways will naturally give you a mix of textures and shapes.
● Height and layers: Small bowls of chutney can break up a large board and add a little height. Layer ingredients around them, allowing fruit or nuts to spill into the spaces between the cheeses.
● Seasonal touches: A few sprigs of fresh rosemary instantly bring a festive feel. If you want to dress the board further, add small Christmas decorations around the edges, making sure anything placed close to the food is non-toxic and food-safe.
Drinks pairing suggestions
● Wines: Offer a red or a crisp white depending on the cheeses you’ve chosen. Something sparkling always feels at home at Christmas – or take a look at our cheese and wine pairing guide for inspiration.
● Port: Nothing says Christmas like a glass of tawny port with your cheese. Our Christmas Cheese & Port Wicker Hamper includes a bottle of rich and aromatic Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port, presented in an elegant gift tube.
● Craft beers: Lighter beers can pair beautifully with the richness of our cheeses, while something darker can stand up well to more intense flavours.
● Non-alcoholic options: A festive punch is a lovely alternative, or serve sparkling water with seasonal fruit.
Discover more Christmas cheeseboard ideas in our recipe hub.
