Because it's only eleven months until Christmas, right? Get your skates on people! Christmas dates are disappearing fast!
Hey at least I waited until the taste of turkey and stuffing has finally left your palate and you've managed to hoover most of the pine needles out of the carpet.
Christmas cheese tastings make a great staff party. With seven or eight cheeses, artisan bread and chutney, there's plenty of food to counteract all that booze and prevent any unfortunate mistletoe related mishaps. At least until after I've left anyway. I also bring wines, or other drinks that I’ll pick to compliment your unique selection of cheeses. This Christmas the favourite was the Zeppelin Riesling, a heady aromatic white so called because it was served on the Graf Zeppelin airship in the 1930's.
To up the christmassiness go for a festive themed tasting. My favourite is The Perfect Christmas Cheeseboard - how to create your own perfect selection of cheeses and pick drinks to go with them. Expect to encounter cheeses like Colston Bassett Stilton, Montgomery's Cheddar and Herve Mons' Camembert accompanied by Kernel Brewery's Export India Porter, Andresen 20-year-old Tawny Port, and Von Buhl's Sparkling Riesling.
For a Christmassy corporate event to entertain your clients, or get them talking to your team, I can design a more interactive theme that might involve competitive cheese and wine matching or Name that Cheese, with a range of cheeses from different countries.
You could have the tasting in your own office or in one of a number of great locations in London from a private cellar bar in the Walrus and Carpenter near Monument, an exclusive lounge on the 24th floor of the Shard, or Samuel Johnson's old house off the Strand, handily near the Old Cheshire Cheese for after party drinks.
Choose one of these off the peg tasting ideas or get in touch and we can design a unique event together at a venue of your choice. If you’re really serious about it I’ll pop round to your office with a couple of cheeses and one of the wines we might use. I promise not to bring any turkey.
Images by Fran Hales www.franhales.com