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Cheese lover or not, the entire nation is poised to invest millions of their Christmas food budget on a variety of festive cheeses to serve up to guests over Christmas and New Year. 
Huge stocks of Cheddars, Stiltons and  Wensleydale and Cranberries are currently adorning supermarket shelves, tempting customers with their gorgeous festive packaging.
But once you’ve taken the cheese out of the packaging and laid it out naked on the cheeseboard, it can, compared to the turkey and all its colourful trimmings, look a little, well, dull.
But not so anymore, as Tanys Pullin, a stylist at Ford Farm Cheesemakers  in West Dorset demonstrates how to serve the cheese course with some added festive pazazz.
‘Why not create a ‘cake’ out of cheese for Christmas or New Year?’ says Tanys.  ‘Many cheesemakers, including Ford Farm, now sell wheels of cheese which you can pile on top of each other to present a genuine show stopping spectacle.
Even if it’s just a small structure of three layers, it will look really impressive on the table’.
The really fun part is dressing the cake.  And this is where, as with decorating the Christmas tree, you can let your imagination run wild.
There are no rules, but just remember whatever you choose will be making direct contact with this cheese, so be sure to choose carefully and safely.’
For the cake pictured, Tanys fashioned rose shapes from a flat sheet of wax and sprayed each of them with edible silver paint.
Ribbon obtained from the florist (often much cheaper than ribbon you buy in shops) was tied around two of the tiers.
‘Finally, just let your creative juices flow just as you would with decorating your Christmas tree and add twine, tinsel, winter greenery from the garden, pine cones and shatterproof baubles.’
To find out more about Ford Farm’s Cheese Celebration Cakes, visit www.fordfarm.com.  Prices start at just £60.
Deadline dates for delivery this Christmas is 14th December and for New Year is 19th December.

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