Wayne Garnett
Giles Henschel
Justin Tunstall
the deli owner the olives expert the cheese guy
Wayne Garnett
Serving fine foods to the good people of Dorset for over 20 years and " still smiling sweetly ." He ' s MD of The Fridge deli in Dorchester . www . thefridge . biz
Isle of Wight Blue
As a cheese shop , I would be hard pressed not to recommend some great cheeses for Christmas . Such as Isle of Wight Blue , my favourite cheese in 22 years of owning The Fridge in Dorchester . Also Hampshire Tunworth , a local Camembert that Raymond Blanc calls ' the best Camembert in the world ' – quite an accolade from a Frenchman !
Best of Dorset Hamper
All foodies can select any of our hundreds of products and we can create a bespoke hamper large or small to suit . Try our Best of Dorset hamper for £ 120 , with chutney , jam , honey , biscuits , champagne , wine and gin . In Dorset , this year ’ s success story has been Conker Spirit , the award-winning Dorset Gin . So smooth and beautifully presented .
Black Beer & Raisin Wine
To complement our cheeses , we ’ d recommend looking to Lyme Bay Winery for their Traditional Mead (£ 8.29 ), a Christmas favourite . But our personal favourite to complement the 100 cheeses we stock is Black Beer & Raisin Wine ( 14.5 % abv ) which is very ' Port-like ' so goes well with a great cheeseboard as a local substitute for Port .
Giles Henschel
The co-founder of Olives Et Al , which is now in its 23rd year of producing amazing and award-winning olives , nuts , dressings , oils and more . www . olivesetal . co . uk
Mini Dressing Pack
This is the one I like to give tricky foodies – four 100ml bottles (£ 11.50 ) of our favourite dressings , so there ’ s something suitable for almost all meals and styles . Freshly made at our Olives Et Al HQ in Sturminster Newton , they ’ re great for drizzling , dipping and marinating . My personal favourite is Pink Mojo on turkey leftovers , although the Shallot & Orange with seasonal game is mighty fine , and the Beetroot & Thyme is awesome with a salmon , tomato and red onion salad .
Anything Olive Wood
Our Tunisian olive wood range is simply the nicest , longest lasting and truly historic thing to give . Hand-hewn from Tunisian olive trees , each item still shows the carving marks . It ’ s amazing to hold a platter (£ 15 ), chopping board (£ 45 ) or pestle and mortar (£ 30 ) that could be hewn from wood as old as a thousand years and know that it will still outlast you and whoever you give it to – truly something to be treasured and revered .
Homemade Spice Mixes
We use a lot of spices in our everyday cooking – whether it be for tagines , to add to a brine mix for making salt beef , or simply to stir through rice or sprinkle over salads – a decent spoonful of spice and squeeze of lemon , lime or orange really adds flavour , and we make our own mixes inspired by what we ’ ve found on our travels . We like to give them as simple but characterful gifts – packed into simple jars with luggage tag labels they make fine gifts for anyone who likes a bit of flavour . Our favourite is Dukkah .
Justin Tunstall
Local food champion and writer , food business consultant and a former Cheesemonger of the Year . @ millcheese
Ford Farm Cave Aged Cheddar
Although Stilton is massively
popular at Christmas , even more people would love to have one of these on the table for grazing until the New Year . This traditionally cloth-wrapped 600g miniature is made on the farm in the valley behind Chesil Beach and has been garlanded with awards . Creamy , with a good Cheddar bite and a slightly sweet taste , this is a family favourite . Under a tenner at independent delis and Waitrose .
Love These With Cheese Gift Packs
Devon-based Hillside Foods was founded to create superb cheese accompaniments , but their preserves ( including the Taste of the West category champion Red Onion & Thyme Marmalade ) will light up charcuterie and cold meats equally well . Sample packs with their fine crackers and fruit cheeses as well . £ 22 and £ 12 www . notonthehighstreet . com
Cheese and Wine ( or Beer ) Evening at The White Post
Brett and Kelly Sutton ’ s welcoming pub
straddles the Dorset and Somerset border at Rimpton , near Yeovil . Their food is consistently lauded in awards programmes , but they ring the changes from time to time with inspired tasting evenings . Cheese and drinks specialists introduce each product . We pair cheeses to compare and taste alongside suitable wines or beers . It ' s always fun ! Vouchers available from 01935 851525 or via www . thewhitepost . com
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