The Fine Cheese Company & Artisan Biscuits

Our most popular gifts by far are our Cheese and Wine hampers... a classic gift selection that suits almost any occasion including get well soon, birthdays, thank you and a new baby celebration, providing a thoughtful gift for the proud new parents!

We've created two new hampers to add to our selection incorporating superior products from the The Fine Cheese Company and Artisan Biscuits. The Fine Cheese Company, specialists in cheese for twenty years, has been owned and run from the beginning by Ann-Marie Dyas. A judge at both the British and World Cheese Awards, Ann-Marie is committed to the survival of traditional cheese-making, and to introducing farmhouse cheeses to as wide a public as possible. As well has being cheese experts the company has also made it their business to know what flatters it and makes it a new experience by producing a unique range of Crackers, made by their sister Company, Artisan Biscuit. Fruits, whole fruits, chutneys, and english pickles for cheese are the result.

You will not find any of The Fine Cheese Company or Artisan ranges of products ever sold in a British supermarket but in over 600 delicatessens, farm shops and so on throughout the UK, and in over 30 countries from Austria to Australia.

Our new Cheese Wine and Biscuits Gift Basket includes The Fine Cheese Company's Waxed Farmhouse Chedder Cheese (200g) made in Somerset accompanied by Toast for Cheese with apricots, pistachios and sunfower seeds, an excellent accompanient to delicate goats' cheeses.

Our new Luxury Cheese Hamper includes Toast for Cheese biscuits with cherries, almonds and linseeds, an excellent accompanient for rich blue cheeses. Also included are All British Cheddar Biscuits and All British Stilton Biscuits made from freshly grated cheese, all butter and perfect with a drop of red wine or for gin and tonic and beer. 

The Fine Cheese Company is located in Bath, so if you ever find yourself in that neck of woods why not drop in where you'll be able to enjoy their cheese shop with artisan cheeses, and great food and wine, some of which you can't buy anywhere else.

Shop Our Cheese Hampers

What Cheese Goes With What Wine?

This weekend is London's Cheese and Wine Festival,  held in The Southbank Centre Square in London, and catered to those who want to discover more about the many delicious pairings that can be created with the many varieties of Cheese and Wine... You will be able to experience tasting events, and view Cooking shows from London's finest chefs! So, here at Smart Gift Solutions, we thought it perfect timing to give you a few tips on the best pairings!

Okay... there are no strict rules to finding perfect wine and cheese combinations because choosing wine and choosing cheese when it really comes down to it is a matter of your personal preference and taste.  So the particularly fantastic thing about Cheese and Wine is there are no official rights or wrongs. However, there are of course 'Classic' Cheese and Wine pairings that never fail to disappoint, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Goats Cheese or Brie and Champagne, which suits perfectly due to the creamy texture of the cheese with the acidity of the drink.

White wines match best with soft cheeses with stronger flavours  - red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors - fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses.  Bascially the more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be. Use this as a guideline when pairing at home or at a dinner party! 

And of course there is also the famously delicious Port and Stilton pairing which we sell here at Smart Gift Solutions, in the Cheese and Wine Gift Box featured to the right, for an affordably priced £30.85. Unlike White Wines, Red Wines tend to match better with harder cheese and milder flavours, which is why this combination is so perfect!

Here's a list of well known popular cheeses and suggestions for complementary wines -

Gloucester Cheese pair with  Pinot Noir or Zinfandel

Gruyère Cheese pair with a Sauvignon Blanc or an Australian Shiraz...Champagne especially vintage or Blanc is also highly recommended

Red Leicester Cheese pair with  a quality Rioja or a full and rich Australian Shiraz

Stilton Cheese pair with sweet wines Port being the favoured choice of many or a dessert wine or full bodied robust red wine

Wensleydale Cheese pair with a sweeter wine  such as a Muscat from Australia or also recommended is a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Parmesan Cheese pair with  – try with a Spanish Cava, an Amarone or a Super Tuscan wine

Goats Cheese pair with (there are so many different types of goat cheeses) a good Rhone Red or a Sauvignon Blanc or an an Italian Trebbiano

Feta Cheese pair with a full dry wine such as an Alsace Riesling or a red Beaujolias.. Retsina too, for a true Greek experience

Cheddar Cheese pair with a Sauvignon Blanc for a white or a good claret, Rhone, or Rhone styled wine from California or Australia... Zinfandel wine is great too. An Argentinian Bonarda makes a tasty, affordable alternative

So there you are, just a few tips and ideas when you are pairing cheese and wine for your cheese board :o)
Let us know via Facebook, Twitter or in the comment box below what pairings you prefer, we would be interested to know whether you break tradition with your tastes!

Food Hampers

Looking for the perfect gift? How about our luxury gift hamper "The Royal Treatment"... We at Smart Gift Solutions specialise in hampers for all occasions.  The Royal Treatment food hamper is just one example of what makes the perfect gift... We've an incredible range of hampers, we're not stingy with the expensive truffles... you won't be sending a box full of shredded tissues.. because we know that the best things come in large packages.  Send a gift hamper so that they'll receive surprise after surprise... not just one gift but many.

You'll find a gift to suit every taste with one of our hampers from pamper hampers, to gardening hampers, golf hampers to birthday hampers, get well hampers, thank you hampers, wedding hampers and more.  Click here to view the full range of our hampers.