Host Your Own Cheese Night!

So, you love cheese (at least I hope you do otherwise you are on the wrong website) and you have friends who also love cheese (great minds think alike!). Why not treat them to a night of food, fun and fiery debate by hosting your own cheese night?

So what do you need? Well obviously you start with the cheese. Our favoured plan is to hit the deli counter at our local Sainsburys (other supermarkets are available) to pick out a core selection of cheeses. We then supplement this with a few off-the-shelf options and sprinkle in a few specialist cheeses procured from other independent local outlets. The number of cheeses you decide to get is up to you! However, we recommend the following as a guideline:

• Between 8 and 12 different cheeses allowing for about 20g-25g per person
• Go for a mixture of soft and hard cheeses, strong and mild options. Maybe have one smoked entry, one flavoured (cranberry, herbs etc.) and consider a goat or sheep milk cheese to use for comparison
• We also recommend having a good solid benchmark cheese. A mature cheddar normally fits the bill but the choice is yours!

Now that you basket is brimming with Brie and Black Bomber^®, its time to think about accompaniments. Whilst most of us will happily munch cheese straight out the packet when nobody is looking, some cheese really comes in to its own when paired with a hearty baguette or a crunchy cracker. We recommend grabbing a few baguettes / french sticks and a box of cheese biscuits as a base. Feel free to add in some extra crackers to suit – a box of Ritz Crackers® always goes down well! With that sorted, why not add an extra dimension to the evening? We recommend:

• Chutney – Caramelised Onion goes well with a lot of cheese
• Sun-dried Tomatoes – cheese and tomato belong together!
• Red & White Grapes, apples, leafy salad – excellent palate cleansers
• Olives
• Sliced meat platter

That is the edibles sorted. Now for the liquid refreshments. A nice cold glass of water goes a long way but no cheese night would be complete without something a little stronger! There are plenty of wines (both red and white) that claim to be a great companion to cheese (head over to read Joe’s article about wines here). Take some time to browse your local wine dispensary to find something that tickled your taste buds. A good bottle of Port to sip throughout the evening is also highly recommended! For those who don’t fancy a drink (or the designated drivers), a sparkling juice drink like Schloer® or a fruity cordial will be just the ticket.

You will find that for a party of around 8-10 people, the bill will run to around £6-£8 a head (depending on how much alcohol you purchase) which when you consider the spread you are putting on equates to a pretty good value evening which I can guarantee you wont leave on an empty stomach!

Once you have triumphantly returned home bearing the fruits of your endeavours, its time to set the table and get eating!

Well…almost time to eat. First, lay out all your cheeses to formulate the plan of attack. Some cheeses might benefit from being eaten straight from the fridge whilst others need a little time to reach their peak at room temperature. Be mindful not to leave softer cheeses out in the warm for too long as this may reduce them to a gooey mess! Once you have your cheeses sorted, give your guests a plate, a knife and a glass (wine glass and water tumbler as required). We also recommend giving each participant a piece of paper and a pencil to record their thoughts – if you find a new cheese that you love, you want to be sure to remember it’s name! We use a cheese rating system comprising two scores. One score is for the cheese on its own and one score is for the cheese “with accompaniment”. This allows you the freedom to find what the cheese goes best with – spread on a cracker or paired with a nice dollop of tangy chutney. You can, of course, score however you choose (if you want to score at all!).

Now for the moment you have been waiting for – the tasting! The glasses are full and the bread has been sliced. It’s time to begin. Normally, we each have one or two cheeses that we “champion” for the evening. We take it in turns to pick a cheese, give the other guests a brief description and then cut it in to portions – one for each guest. Some larger cheeses might have leftovers – this is fine as it allows for people to go back at the end to adjust a score or simply enjoy a new favorite cheese! Once everyone has their chunk of cheese, the tasting begins. Healthy chatter is encouraged but everyone has different tastes so be open to others and don’t try to pressure them too much! Take your time to savour the flavour. Try it in different combinations. Think about what tastes really pop out – is it creamy, crunchy, punchy, tart, smoky?

From here, the evening is yours to enjoy! If you want to take a break then feel free. If you want cleanse the palate with a slice of apple and a glass of water then go for it. Never forget what it is that the evening is fundamentally all about – the love of cheese. Spending time in good company with good food is a real treat so go forth and make some memories – and hey, you might just find that cheese that will really rock your world!