14th December 2025
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No Cheese At All!
Inside Cheese Nerd’s Christmas Tables.
Angela Cairns is keeping the turkey tradition alive again this year, when Selina, Andrew, and the children come to visit.
Last Week’s Delights.
My hair had barely recovered from the Scottish wind — and it had been stormy, in the very best sense of the word. In fact, nothing went smoothly from the outset. Even before take-off. I was tightening my seatbelt at Berlin Brandenburg Airport when the pilot delivered a vague announcement: IT problems in Edinburgh. Not ideal, I thought. Our already tight schedule — with an early-afternoon landing planned — was suddenly at risk. Rory Mellis knew my arrival time, and I knew about his family’s pre-Christmas event that evening. We had calculated closely — too closely, as it turned out, once technical issues at the destination airport entered the picture. What had been intended as the festive opening of my cheese-culture journey through the Scottish Lowlands would, in the end, become its crowning finale.
And in between? I counted an impressive number of pheasants on the road from Edinburgh to North Berwick. Svetlana Kukharchuk — The Cheese Lady — and I had originally planned to meet at her newer shop in Haddington, but a last-minute change of plans unexpectedly worked in my favour. Upon arrival, I found myself with an hour to absorb the atmosphere of this coastal region: the briny sea air, the wide-stretched Lowlands, the cold, penetrating winter light. It immediately became clear how profoundly all of this must shape the character and diversity of Scotland’s cheeses.
And anyone who thinks this could not possibly be topped clearly hasn’t met Angela Cairns of Errington Cheese yet. I spent the entire Sunday with the 51-year-old farm girl on Walston Braehead Farm. The day before, I had run into her brother Andrew by chance at a farmers’ market in Edinburgh; the day later I found myself standing with his wife Selina and his sister Angela in the Errington Barn.
Spent entire last Sunday with the 51-year-old farm girl Angela Cairns on Walston Braehead Farm and enjoyed every second with her.
Cheesy Trivia: On the Christmas Plates of Cheese Nerds.
I will be reporting on all of this in detail in the coming articles. What truly surprised me with all of them, however, was their answer to the question of what would be served on Christmas Eve this year. A full-blown cheese extravaganza was definitely not on the menu. To see whether this was more than a coincidence, I reached out to my cheese network — and received some fascinating glimpses of Christmas tables across the scene. A few chosen ones, though, are still proudly flying the cheese flag.
Angela Cairns, cheesemaker, Errington, Scotland
“I’m keeping our turkey tradition alive again this year, when Selina, Andrew, and the children come to visit.”
Silvio Schöpfer, cheesemaker, Kleinstein, Switzerland
“My two daughters and I are invited to my parents’ place for Christmas. My siblings will be there too, and we usually have Fondue Chinoise with lots of side dishes — and, honestly, far too much food.”
Anaïs Causse, cheesemonger, Germany
“There will be far too much food again — but definitely our traditional Christmas orange-and-banana salad with hazelnuts, plus venison, red cabbage, and dumplings.”
Svetlana Kukharchuk, cheesemonger, Scotland
“One essential part is the cheese course — ideally a Comté aged at least 36 months, paired with a full-bodied red wine, for example a Primitivo.”
Bernard Antony, affineur, France
“At Christmas we are many — around 20 people. There’s a buffet of charcuterie and salmon, foie gras, salads, a meat dish, and a large cheese buffet.”
Rory Mellis, cheesemonger, Scotland
“I still don’t know yet. But if it’s cheese, I prefer no more than three varieties and a good wine. I’d rather dive deep into a small selection than have an overloaded cheeseboard.”
Noemi Decurtins, cheesemaker, Switzerland
“For us, it’s very clearly Raclette! Ideally with some of our own more exotic cheeses — or even experimental batches.”
Paul Thomas, cheesemaker, Germany
“This year it will be a leg of lamb, left to ‘weep’ gently over a pan of roasted vegetables. It’s the best time of year for lamb, and it’s a simple, unfussy meal that lets us spend time with friends and family rather than slaving away in the kitchen. It’s also a good opportunity to pick up the pluck — lungs, heart, and so on — which I’ll need for making haggis on the 25th of January.”
The Cheese Lady in her preferred element: combining amazing cheeses with beverages.
Literary Flavours.
If Christmas Eve does end up featuring cheese after all — and there’s still a question mark over which wine to serve — The Cheese Connoisseur’s Handbook by Svetlana Kukharchuk is a highly recommended reference. In it, she explores different ways of enjoying cheese across individual chapters, each concluding with clear, practical pairing examples. One particular spotlight is placed on Corra Linn, “the bonniest cheese” from Errington Cheese. Svetlana’s recommendation reads:
“When pairing Corra Linn with beverages, I tend to go for medium-bodied red wines to match its complex flavour and weight, but nice craft ales with a bit of sweetness and nuttiness on the palate will make a great match for it too.”
In this spirit: wishing you a joyful and delicious Christmas. And don't forget to read ...
Kerstin Jürss, carrying the amazing Big Ben on her shoulder.
... a new Cheese Story on the Board.
No one could describe these developments in Sweden’s young cheese history better than Kerstin Jürss, who has shaped them herself—both as a cheesemaker and as a teacher. Her award-winning cheeses and her commitment to the Södermanland region, to Swedish cheese culture, and beyond are emblematic of a shift in Swedish society: a renewed focus on true craftsmanship, tradition, and, above all, flavor. Enjoy!
And should anyone be wondering what my own Christmas dinner will look like, the answer will come as no surprise: it will be neither more nor less than Stichelton by Joe Schneider. I am very happy that my trusted cheesemonger here in Berlin, Anaïs Causse, maintains such a close connection with Collingthwaite Farm in Nottinghamshire. To accompany it: a light cauliflower soup, pale sourdough bread—and yes, a glass of tawny port. End of proceedings.
Don’t forget: Great things take time.
Yours truly, Laura