We raved about Andy and Kathy Swinscoe’s fabulous shop, the Courtyard Dairy in Settle last Christmas and make no apology for doing so again this year. It’s where we buy our Christmas cheeses and you should too.
Take a look at his awards: Cheesemonger of the Year, (World Cheese Awards 2013); Top 20 Cheese Shops in the World (Daily Telegraph 2015); Runner Up – Best Independent Retailer (Observer Food Monthly 2015).
Andy’s a lovely chap, too. Last year Squidbeak spent an entertaining evening with him at Outside the Box in Ilkley where we ran a Christmas Quiz and Andy gave a cheese tasting. He’s a great speaker and a cheese expert like no other. As an affineur he knows how to look after his cheeses, bring them on and sell them in perfect condition.
If you can’t get to Settle, you can still buy your cheese online and if you order before 30 November and mention Squidbeak, you will receive a special £5 voucher to spend in the new year.
So with this in mind, we asked Andy to put together three Christmas cheeseboards. This is what he came up with.
Christmas with a Twist:
A mix of farm-made and award winning cheeses. A buttery tangy 12-month Cheddar; a creamy rich Lancashire; a powerful British Camembert and a fresh light-goats milk. All topped off with Stichelton – a rich toasty unpasteurised blue that gives the best Stilton’s a run for their money.
New Cheeses on the Block:
Britain’s artisan cheese scene is blooming. Champion the best of British cheeses by serving four of the newest creations: a fresh, creamy goats’ milk; a nutty, butterscotch-hard, Alpine-style; the running and ripe Rollright and a brilliant smooth blue with an amazing depth of flavour.
World Cheese Award Winners:
Every year the World Cheese Awards gingerly gives out ‘Super Golds’ to the best 50 cheeses in the world. This box includes four of these amazing and sought-after ‘Super Golds’: the fruity aromatic Capra Nouveau; a fresh, lactic Caerphilly; tangy and powerful vintage Old Winchester and the smooth and creamy Cote Hill Blue.
Order before 30th November and get a £5 voucher for 2016
(* £5 voucher redeemable in Jan – March 2016; please mention on the checkout that you heard about the Courtyard Dairy through Squidbeak to get your voucher)