Mary Quicke is a total inspiration in the cheese world (and to me!) and I’ll never forget a tour of her farm where she and I sat in a field of her cows and talked about the wonders of milk. Quicke’s make all manner of delicious cheddars, but I’ve chosen their elderflower variety as it is so unique, and tastes like home, as my parents live just up the road.

When my husband and I got married in 2019, we knew cheese absolutely had to feature on the wedding menu. Our evening food was hot cheese toasties of two varieties: the Bride and the Groom! My choice, the Bride, was a powerful mix of Red Leicester amongst other British cheeses, and Sparkenhoe is the best red Leicester around, so it has to be included in my ultimate selection. Try it in a toastie!

When I was 17, my first ever job was working on the Waitrose cheese counter. I relished learning about (and tasting) all the cheeses, and my top pick that I used to recommend to anyone who would listen was seasonal Vacherin, a French soft cheese wrapped in spruce bark. I discovered the British version, Rollright, a few years ago, and it rocked my world (and is available year round!).

I’ll never forget the moment I first tried this unpasteurised blue cheese in Borough Market whilst doing my favourite Sunday afternoon activity: wandering and eating. It is similar to Stilton but cannot be named as such as Stilton has a fiercely protected PDO to a select few dairies. The subtle bluing makes it a great entry level blue cheese, and is one that will convert those who claim not to be blue-cheese lovers!