A Very Territorial Christmas

Every December, something special happens to Britain’s territorial cheeses. They shift from being everyday favourites to becoming the flavours that make winter feel like winter. Bright, crumbly Cheshire with a slice of fruit loaf. A generous wedge of Caerphilly broken open beside a crackling fire. A piece of Wensleydale enjoyed on a sweet oat biscuit in the late afternoon lull. When the weather turns cold and the pace slows down, these cheeses come into their own.

At Neal’s Yard Dairy, we’re celebrating the pleasure, comfort, and sheer deliciousness of territorial cheeses, the ones that have defined British farmhouse production for centuries. This year, we’re putting territorials back at the centre of the cheeseboard.

Why Territorials Taste Like the Season

Territorials have a brightness that sets them apart from the rich, heavy cheeses that tend to dominate festive spreads. They bring clarity and contrast: a clean, tangy edge that keeps the palate awake. When everything else on the table is indulgent and heavy, these cheeses offer lift and freshness.

They also belong to this moment in the year. Unlike goat’s and sheep’s cheeses, which are naturally out of season in winter, territorials are designed to keep. Made when milk is plentiful earlier in the year, they mature slowly across the seasons, fitting in neatly with December feasting. They are, in the truest sense, cheeses for winter.

And part of what makes them special is the way they slot into our winter rituals. They’re the late-afternoon snack with a pot of tea; the savoury counterpoint to something sweet; the thing you reach for on Boxing Day when the pace has slowed. Territorials are woven into our cold-weather comforts.

Voices From the Dairy

Few people know this better than the cheesemakers who craft them.

Gordon Cross recently took over production of Cotherstone from his mother, Joan. It’s a cheese that traces its lineage back through generations of dairy families in Teesdale. “My grandmother married into a farming family in the 1920s,” he says, “when 20 or 30 farms in the valley were making a cheese that came to be known as Cotherstone. Now we’re the only ones left.”

For Gordon, what matters is the sense of continuity. “Territorials embody the heritage of British cheese, shaped by generations of dairy farming. Cotherstone is a natural, healthy cheese that embodies both the hard work of the past and the promise of the future. At Christmas it’s a perfect match for fruitcake: in our family, always enjoyed together by the fire with a pot of tea.”

Sarah Appleby, a third-generation Cheshire cheesemaker, puts it another way. “Cheshire cheese is a true original: bold, characterful, and proudly unpretentious. Handmade with care and craft, it’s as iconic to British food culture as a vinyl record is to music—raw, real, and enduring.” For Sarah, the magic is simple: this is cheese with personality, made by people who care deeply about the land, the animals, and the skills that shape it.

The Flavours We’re Excited About This Christmas

You may have noticed that we’re leaning wholeheartedly into territorials this year: on the counter, in our gift sets, and on our own tables at home. Here are a few highlights from our festive lineup.

Running Porter: The Perfect Winter Pairing

We’ve teamed up with The Kernel Brewery to create Running Porter, a dark, full-bodied beer inspired by London’s historic porter tradition. Its gentle bitterness and roasted malt notes make it a natural companion to cheeses like Cheshire, Lancashire and Caerphilly.
It’s the kind of beer you open after a winter walk as the light fades—a perfect moment for a wedge of something tangy and crumbly.

The Territorial Selection

Our Territorial Selection brings together generous pieces of some of our favourite farmhouse cheeses. This year’s box features two new-wave Wensleydales alongside a succulent wedge of Cheshire, with a piece of Stichelton for contrast. These cheeses keep beautifully over the holidays and offer something for every mood: a lunchtime ploughman’s, an evening nibble, or a celebratory cheeseboard for friends and family.

Quince Bakery Biscuits for Lancashire

We’re also very excited to be working with Anna Higham of Quince Bakery on a bespoke biscuit trio designed specifically for Kirkham’s Lancashire. Anna has reimagined three of her signature recipes to showcase Lancashire’s fresh acidity and buttery crumble:

• Quince Slice, a gingerbread biscuit with warm winter spices
• A classic oaty biscuit, for crunch and toastiness
• Goosnargh Cake, a shortbread flavoured with coriander, inspired by a classic recipe from the Kirkhams’ own village

The selection comes with a generous wedge of Lancashire, and while the biscuits were designed to highlight its bright, buttery flavour, they’ll happily complement any other territorial cheeses you have on hand as well.

The Territorial Jigsaw Puzzle

For something a little different, we’ve created a 1,000-piece Territorial Jigsaw celebrating Cheshire and Lancashire in a lush farmhouse scene. It’s a puzzle that rewards slow attention: look closely and you’ll spot hints of the landscapes, people, and practices that gave rise to these cheeses. It’s perfect for that quiet lull after a festive lunch, or while nibbling on Cheshire in front of the fire.

Putting Territorials Back at the Centre of the Table

What we love most about territorials is how naturally they fit into Christmas eating. They’re not an afterthought; they’re not a token gesture of “supporting local.” They’re simply delicious: versatile, balanced, and full of character.

So this Christmas, we’re celebrating them for what they are: the cheeses Britain does best, crafted by remarkable makers who carry forward skills honed over generations. Whether you’re hosting a crowd, putting together a Boxing Day spread, or settling in for a quiet evening with a beer and a board, these cheeses bring something bright and generous to the table.

We hope you’ll savour them with the same pleasure we do. After all, there’s nothing quite like the tang of a good territorial when the evenings are long, the fire is crackling, and the holiday season is in full swing.