I have something to confess: I don’t really know what I’m doing when it comes to buying cheese at Christmas.

I just look out for fancy wrappings, something crumbly and blue that I wouldn’t usually touch, and an odd-smelling variety. Unsurprisingly, this yields mixed results.

Well, no more! I reached out to Amanda Burningham, former MasterChef quarter finalist and Head of Cheese Marketing at Swiss dairy group Emmi UK, to learn how to create the perfect cheeseboard this festive season.

“At Christmas, a great cheeseboard is about more than tradition, it’s about balance, texture and flavour,” she explained.

Here are some of her tips:

1) Pick a standout cheese

As you might have guessed, I tend to overwhelm myself by picking cheese I don’t usually try and attempting to work out the right order in which to eat them – which Burningham does not think is a great idea.

One way to combat this dairy dilemma? “Instead of overcrowding your cheeseboard, serve one standout... cheese and explore it with........

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