Get inspired by dream cheeseboards from five cheese retailers across the UK

Michael Thomson, Mike’s Fancy Cheese
I’m a big fan of a one-cheese cheeseboard! So, my favourite is forever changing, and we love to shout about seasonal cheese. It’s nice to have a lactic goats’ cheese like Cnoc Dubh in the middle of the summer, or we have a cheese called Creeny made by Tom Cropp at Corleggy, it’s a little individual sheep’s cheese that in the summer when it’s fresh and creamy is lovely, but we squirrel some away to last into January, for our beer and cheese nights (a month of Mondays), and it becomes a different beast, spicy and tangy a nice talking point.

Julie Oxley-Hoyle, Lewis and Cooper
I’m going with British Cheeses. For the Blue, I’m going with Leeds Blue Made by Mario Olianas at Yorkshire Pecorino in Otley. A fantastic rich and creamy Ewes milk blue in the style of gorgonzola . Cheddar I’m going to go with Montgomery’s Farmhouse using milk from a Friesian Herd. I love the smell of it, and its sweet nuttiness. 

Though I do love Ribblesdale Owd Ewe, an aged sheeps cheese made by Iona Hill, it has great depth of flavour. I will have to have Baron Bigod, an unpasturised Brie de Meaux style cheese. It is a glorious cheese, you can just taste the quality of the milk, the animals and care of the land. Then I will add Gorwydd Caerphilly made by Morgan and Todd Trethowan. I’d add some seasonal fruit, quince paste and perhaps some local honey.

Fraser MacLellan, Froth & Rind
My dream cheeseboard would probably feature about 30 cheeses but I’ll try and narrow it down a little. Colston Bassett Stilton would be my choice of blue, I just can’t get enough of it. My soft choice would either be Carboncino, an Italian mixed milk cheese, or Yarlington by King Stone Dairy, a newcomer and absolutely delicious. 

Quickes Vintage Cheddar is fantastic with wonderful depth of flavour, although Shepherd’s Store ewe’s milk cheese would give it a run for its money and then I’d round it off with Dazel Ash, a wonderful goats cheese.

Gemma Williams, The Little Cheesemonger
My No1. is always an artisan Gorgonzola, this is because it’s not only sweet, delicious, creamy but also mild, so you can double up with a stronger blue that’s completely different like Mon Las from Anglesey.

Then for the soft a nice piece of Pen Helyg (a new cheese on the block) brie style made with organic unpasteurised milk. My hard cheese would be Hafod and top it with some Smoked Gubeen.

Candice Fonseca, Delifonseca 
I don’t want to be disloyal to the fantastic new British cheesemakers, but I’m all about strength of flavour on my dream cheeseboard. Époisses would be the first one; it’s quite a naughty, smelly washed-rind cheese that originates from France. It actually smells stronger than it tastes. 

Then we’d add Roquefort, which is a classic blue mould king of French cheeses and is made from sheep’s milk. Since it’s my dream board I’d get them via the affineur Hennart, as they add extra magic to all the cheeses they mature. Next up is Reypenaer XO Reserve, a Dutch cheese that can be ripened for us to three years and is amazing. Last but not least I’d add Gubbeen, from Cork in Ireland, which has a distinct creamy, nutty, mushroomy, savoury flavour.