M&S Vintage Red Fox Red Leicester With Chilli
200g, £4.50, marksandspencer.com
Mild, sweet and spicy – it’s not very strong. I’m a cheese snob but if people don’t really like cheese, something like this is a good one to have on a cheeseboard for them.
★★★

Asda Extra Special Queso de Oveja Con Ajo Negro
(Sheep’s Cheese With Black Garlic)
150g, £4, asda.com
Marmite? Mushroom? The texture is plasticky, but the ripple through it is interesting. What is it? Black garlic! Lovely fermented flavour.
★★★

Cullum
£11.25 per 250g, paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk
Delicious. Sheep’s milk? A lovely creaminess but with that acidity … I could eat a lot of that. We should eat more sheep’s cheese.
★★★★

Yarlington
220g, £10, thecheesegeek.com
I love a washed rind cheese. It’s got a nutty flavour, but doesn’t have any of the excitement I associate with a washed rind. This is a cheese that needs to be a bit warmer. Maybe it’s a bit young?
★★★

Asda Extra Special Montagnolo Affiné
120g, £2.50, asda.com
This has a funny marbling of blue. It’s like gorgonzola meets stilton. It’s delicious. It’s salty and creamy and easy on the palate, so it would be a crowd pleaser.
★★★★

BEST BUY
Aldi Specially Selected Exquisite 50 Month Aged Vintage Cheddar
400g, £3.99, aldi.co.uk
Has the nice salt crystals you want from vintage cheddar. It’s got a nice tanginess. If it’s well priced, this is brilliant value.
★★★★★

Mouse’s Favourite Vegan Camembert Style
135g, £8.99, mousesfavourite.com
Great appearance, and a good flavour. I love the rind. I’m really impressed.
★★★★

Honestly Tasty Vegan Blue
100g, £6.50, honestlytasty.co.uk
It’s impressive to get a vegan blue – really shows how far vegan cheese has come. The flavour could be more complex but it’s a great step forward.
★★★

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sour Cherry & Prosecco Chutney
210g, £1.75, sainsburys.co.uk
It tastes like mince pie … ish. It has that finishing acidity. It’d go well with cheese. Nice.
★★★★

TOP TASTE
Scandi Kitchen Wild Cloudberry Jam
200g, £6, thecheesegeek.com
Very mild. I often think chutneys are too strong to have with nice cheese. Really like this. It’s so light, but gives you a little sweetness to complement cheese. I’d buy this.
★★★★

Asda Free From Chocolate Box
176g, £3, asda.com
Totally acceptable. They taste the same, but they’re not. It’s great there’s no dairy. Quite generic, but textures are OK. It looks fancy, and if you’re giving it to someone with a dairy allergy, it’s thoughtful.
★★★

Carluccio’s Fichi Con Ciliegie al Rhum
(rum-soaked figs stuffed with cherries)
200g, £13.95, carluccios.com
What is this? Figs with stuff. It’s quite messy, but nicely rustic.
★★★

Chococo Festive Collection
25 pieces, £25, chococo.co.uk
These look really high-end, so pretty and fancy. This one is sweet and creamy with a bit of salt. I think I had one with treacle in it. Some of these are vegan? Very good, very interesting. The truffles are lovely. I’d buy these.
★★★★

Polly The Pug
150g, £2.49, aldi.co.uk
Not a lot going on. It’s fun for children to get silly gifts like this, but I’d get a selection box over this. Cute as hell, and I feel bad for eating her foot. I was going to eat her ear but I thought she might need it.
★★

M&S Collection Going Gnome for Christmas
100g, £5, marksandspencer.com
The painted chocolate on top looks rustic and homemade. They’re quite nice. It’s creamy, not oily. Really pleasant. I’d like these with a cup of tea.
★★★★

Anna Haugh is chef-owner of Myrtle restaurant