Move Over Turkey… The Cheeseboard Is Stealing Christmas


Award-winning cheesemonger unveils festive collection featuring some of the UK’s most celebrated artisan cheeses

Move over turkey, this Christmas the cheeseboard is stealing the show, as award-winning cheesemonger, George & Joseph, unveils a festive collection packed with some of Britain’s most decorated artisan cheeses.

From Supreme Champions and British Cheese Awards winners to Great Taste three-star cheeses and World Cheese Awards medallists, the George & Joseph 2026 Christmas collection brings together an impressive roll call of award-winning British cheesemakers across three limited-edition Christmas cheese selections.

Among the line-up is St Jude, crowned Supreme Champion at the 2026 Virtual Cheese Awards; three-star Great Taste winner Old Winchester; British Cheese Awards Gold winner Yoredale; and World Cheese Awards Gold-winning Quicke’s Mature Cheddar, alongside celebrated cheeses including Baron Bigod, Yorkshire Pecorino and Harrogate Blue.

Handpicked by George & Joseph founder and Academy of Cheese trainer, Stephen Fleming, each selection has been curated to showcase the breadth and quality of British artisan cheesemaking, while helping shoppers venture beyond the supermarket cheeseboard this Christmas.

Whether buying for a discerning cheese lover, discovering world-class British cheeses or creating the ultimate festive spread, the collection brings some serious cheese credentials to the Christmas table.

Meet George & Joseph’s 2026 Christmas cheese selections:

The Cheese Curious Christmas Selection (£35) | Approx. 650g-750g

Perfect for anyone keen to explore artisan cheese beyond the festive favourites, this discovery selection showcases four distinctive British cheeses with contrasting textures and flavours.

St Jude

One of Britain’s most celebrated cheeses, St Jude was named Supreme Champion at the 2026 Virtual Cheese Awards and Best British Cheese in 2026, adding to a Super Gold at the 2024 World Cheese Awards. A delicate soft cheese with a silky texture and bright lactic freshness, it is elegant, creamy and wonderfully moreish.

Baby Burt

A mellow, buttery blue offering all the festive appeal of a blue cheese without overwhelming the palate.

Eggleston

A contemporary British artisan cheese from Primrose Creamery with a buttery texture and gently savoury complexity that develops beautifully as it warms. Its maker, Jake Goldstein, was also named Best Young Cheesemaker in 2026.

Old Winchester

A hard, nutty cheese with crunchy crystals and rich umami depth, sitting somewhere between an aged Gouda and Parmesan. Old Winchester secured the highest three-star accolade at the 2025 Great Taste Awards, following further recognition at the British Cheese Awards and World Cheese Awards.

The Yorkshire Christmas Cheeseboard (£48) | Approx. 850g-950g

A celebration of Yorkshire cheesemaking featuring four artisan cheeses produced across the county and recognised on both the national and international stage.

Yoredale

A fresh, crumbly Wensleydale-style cheese with bright acidity and plenty of character. Produced by The Curlew Dairy in North Yorkshire, Yoredale won Gold at the 2024 British Cheese Awards.

Summer Field Alpine

A smooth, nutty Alpine-style cheese from the North York Moors with buttery richness and gentle Comté-style notes. Summer Field Alpine was also recognised as a category winner at the 2024 Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards.

Yorkshire Pecorino Fresco

A soft sheep’s milk cheese offering delicate sweetness and a subtle tang that brings balance to the board. Yorkshire Pecorino has received recognition at both the British Cheese Awards and World Cheese Awards.

Harrogate Blue

A rich, creamy blue with a mellow savoury finish that’s indulgent without being overpowering. Another decorated Yorkshire cheese, Harrogate Blue has picked up accolades at both the British Cheese Awards and World Cheese Awards.

The G&J Xmas Feast (£75) | Approx. 1.3kg-1.5kg

Created for serious Christmas entertaining, this generous British artisan cheeseboard brings together six outstanding cheeses perfect for festive hosting and Boxing Day grazing.

Baron Bigod

A luxurious Brie-style cheese with a buttery texture and earthy mushroom notes. One of Britain’s best-known artisan cheeses, Baron Bigod has amassed numerous industry accolades and was runner-up at the 2026 Virtual Cheese Awards.

Colston Bassett Stilton

The definitive British Christmas blue, renowned for its creamy texture and beautifully balanced flavour.

Quicke’s Mature Cheddar

A traditional clothbound cheddar with rich savoury depth, nuttiness and a wonderfully long finish. Made using milk from the Quicke family’s grass-fed cows in Devon and naturally matured for 12-15 months, the Mature Clothbound Cheddar won Gold at the 2023 World Cheese Awards.

Kirkham’s Lancashire

A farmhouse Lancashire combining buttery richness with a lively fresh tang.

Little Rollright

A spruce-wrapped washed rind cheese with a rich, gooey texture and gently woodland-like character.

Dorstone

An ash-coated goat’s cheese delivering bright citrus notes that perfectly balance the richer cheeses.

The selections are ideal for Christmas gifting, festive entertaining or creating a properly memorable cheeseboard, with each carefully balanced to offer a variety of milk types, textures and flavour profiles.

Customers will also be able to add crackers and chutney to their order, turning their cheese selection into a complete Christmas cheeseboard. The optional add-on is expected to cost around £15, with final contents to be confirmed.

George & Joseph has been championing artisan cheesemakers since opening in 2013 and has become one of the UK’s most respected independent cheesemongers, winning numerous national industry awards while helping customers discover exceptional cheeses from Yorkshire and across Britain.

Available in limited quantities, the Christmas cheese selections can be pre-ordered online at www.georgeandjoseph.co.ukfrom early September, with the exact launch date to be confirmed. Pre-orders close at midnight on Sunday 13th December, with final DPD dispatch on Monday 21st December for delivery before Christmas.

Click & Collect and local delivery will be available up to and including Christmas Eve, Thursday 24th December, subject to availability. The selections will also be available to buy in the Chapel Allerton shop during the Christmas period, subject to availability.