The one essential cheese for your Christmas cheeseboard: according to James Martin

A cheeseboard at Christmas is as seasonal as Christmas pudding and mince pies.

But chef and TV presenter James Martin has revealed that there is one cheese that always takes pride-of-place on his board every Christmas - and never lasts into the new year.

“Vacherin Mont D’or,” he tells Saga. “There’s never any left. It’s very famous and very, very relative to Christmas.

“It’s usually in a wooden box with a clear film on it and it's firm on the top, but when its warmed up, at room temperature or in an oven, it’s like a cheese fondue. It goes lovely and goo-ey in the middle and then you spoon it out.”

James Martin’s essential cheeses for your board

The host of James Martin’s Saturday Morning certainly knows his dairy. His latest book Cheese has 100 recipes which make the most of the UK’s favourite ingredient.

If you fancy a twist on a traditional board, you can try his Best-ever Cheeseboard recipe which is great for anytime of year.

But if you are sticking with a traditional cold cheeseboard for Christmas, then what are his essential choices?

James says there are three must-have cheeses. His top Christmas choice is the Vacherin Mont D’Or.

2. A hard cheese

For James the board must have a hard cheese. “Cheddar is one cheese I can’t say no to, he says. “A good bit of cheddar like a Montgomery mature cheddar. I’ll start at one end and meet myself at the other.”

But if you want something continental, he recommends a Comte, from France, or a Manchego, from Spain.

“Like the cheddar, they all have that unique saltiness, the crystallisation that I love,” he says.

3. A blue cheese

A blue cheese is the third essential cheese for a cheeseboard for James. He says a classic quality Stilton or his other favourite, a Torta di Dolcelatte (or Gorgonzola) made by layering the cheese with mascarpone. 

“It’s a lot creamier,” he explains. “And what’s so great about it, is it goes really well with figs and you can use it in salads afterwards too.”

What accompaniments go on a cheeseboard

James says he has all the traditional accompaniments on his board.

“Grapes, celery, figs,” he says. “But I also have membrillo, the classic Spanish quince jelly. I always have that with a cheeseboard as well.

“Membrillo traditionally goes with Manchego but it’s also fantastic with Stilton and Cheddar. It’s fantastic and deserves a place with your cheeseboard.

Crackers or bread with your cheeseboard?

James says he has both.

“If it's Montgomery cheddar, then it’s crackers with lots of butter and cheese. I am usually a bread person, but with cheddar it’s got to be a cracker.

“I go for Jacobs crackers, nothing fancy, it has to be a plain cracker, to let the cheese do its thing.

“And I can’t eat it with just cheese, it’s got to have butter on it.”

Can you put butter with a French cheese?

“Yes,” he says. “I would put butter with everything to be honest. But you get really good butter and you get really poor butter.

"So it’s all to do with the taste as with anything else."

What to drink with a cheeseboard

“I drink white wine with cheese, I’m not a port or sherry man, perhaps a bit of brandy, I enjoy it, but it wouldn’t be one I drink with cheese.

“I would keep on with the wine that’s already open. If you are enjoying it why change?”

Why we appreciate a cheeseboard more as we get older

“People’s tastes change,” says James. “As I’ve got older I appreciate the tastes of the cheeses more. I think your taste buds change, they mature, you mature, your knowledge gets better, and I think that accumulation of knowledge with everything else comes across in your tastes.

“I also think we appreciate the conviviality of joining together around a cheese board and it brings back memories, from your childhood, from so many things.

“I grew up on Dairylea triangles, but my mum was a good cook and although we couldn’t afford much, she would save up and get a good bit of cheese.”

What to do with cheeseboard leftovers

James is full of ideas if you’ve got any cheeses from your cheeseboard left after Christmas.

“If you are going to use it for leftovers then fondue,” he recommends. “That’s always fun, a little bit of white wine, some milk or cream and you can make a nice little fondue.

”Or if you’ve got any cheddar left, left it makes an amazing rarebit.

"You can use it on toast with a bit of chutney; on bacon for breakfast, but the most famous was from the late great Gary Rhodes who came up with the dish, Smoked Haddock Welsh Rarebit, and it’s a classic.”

Why British cheese is great

James says the Brits love their cheese as much as ever and many farms around the UK are diversifying to make great new cheeses.

"We’ve got great dairy and because of that we’ve got great milk, we’ve got great butter and we’ve got great cheese," he says.

"There’s a lady making halloumi in Yorkshire, there’s a pecorino guy in Yorkshire, there’s a buffalo mozzarella guy in Essex and in Hampshire now. Our pasture is as good as Italy and France, so why shouldn't there be mozzarella from the UK or any other cheese?"