The Best Local Produce to Create the Ultimate Sharing Board this Valentine's Day
We are all told that the best way to anyone's heart is through their stomach, so this Valentine's Day we show you how to create the ultimate sharing board crammed with delicious Yorkshire and North East produce
Bessie’s Yorkshire Preserves
07973 566221
bessiesyorkshirepreserves.com
No sharing board is complete without a tasty chutney and Bessie’s Yorkshire Preserves have plenty of choice with their handmade, award-winning preserves. Made with the finest local ingredients and following traditional family recipes, you’ll find the full range of preserves on their website and at stockists Yorkshirewide. Our choice? The fig and balsamic chutney has a real sweet and sour twist.
Northumberland Cheese Company
The Cheese Farm, Green Lane, Blagdon NE13 6BZ
01670 789798
northumberlandcheese.co.uk
Since 1984 Northumberland Cheese Company have been creating delicious farmhouse cheese including their award-winning oak-smoked, Redesdale sheep’s cheese and best-selling Nettle cow’s cheese, from their cheese farm in Blagdon. You can pick up crackers, chutneys and all the accompaniments you need for the perfect Valentine’s board from their shop, or visit their website for special hampers and cheese boxes.
Swaledale Cheese Company
Metcalfe Farms, Leyburn DL8 5JZ
01748 824932
swaledalecheese.co.uk
This award-winning artisan cheese company has been creating and selling delicious cheese for more than 30 years. Using ancient recipes which date back to the 11th century, Swaledale Cheese Company are committed to using ingredients from local suppliers, offering a range of smoked, blue, farmhouse and sheep’s cheese. Shop online or visit stockists Yorkshirewide.
Read More: Try This Prebiotic Rocky Road Recipe
Lishman’s of Ilkley
25 Leeds Road, Ilkley LS29 8DP
01943 609436
lishmansbutchers.co.uk
Having gained a local, regional and national reputation as one of the top butcher’s shops in the county, Lishman’s of Ilkley are on hand to help with all your charcuterie needs. Created with a Yorkshire twist the award-winning team have developed their own recipes and use traditional techniques to offer everything from smoked, air-dried ham to Yorkshire chorizo and spicy salami. Visit the shop in Ilkley or shop online.
Block & Bottle
188 Heaton Road, Newcastle NE6 5HP
0191 265 7955
blocknbottle.com
Block & Bottle are known throughout the North East for their locally-sourced, free-range and grass-fed meats, and as well as fresh meat to take home and cook, this Heaton-based butchery hand-craft a selection of award-winning charcuterie. Visit the shop to browse everything from their popular soppressata flagship salami (made with chilli flakes, fennel, garlic and black pepper,) to ‘nduja, pancetta and coppa ham.
Tyne Chease
tynechease.com
Thanks to the UK’s first artisan vegan cheese company, Tyne Chease, everyone can enjoy a delicious sharing board this Valentine’s Day. Created in the heart of Northumberland, visit their website to shop everything from a garlic and herb roule to pink peppercorn soft cheese and white truffle oil cashew nut cheese. We recommend the award-winning smoked creamy paprika vegan cheese which pairs perfectly with seeded crackers.
Wildman British Charcuterie
Town End Farm Shop, Airton, Malhamdale, Skipton BD23 4BE
01729 830902
wildmanbritishcharcuterie.co.uk
Fifth generation butchers and graziers, Wildman Charcuterie are based in Malhamdale’s Town End Farm Shop with Chris Wildman at the helm. Their signature charcuterie range includes Yorkshire chorizo, salami, guanciale and coppa ham, as well as their award-winning Craven Longhorn bresaola. Head to their website to shop or book one of their charcuterie-making courses.
Elsi cutting board, £36 Co. Interiors, South Shields
Wide oak board, £69 Forge at Toast, Harrogate
Soria carved mango wood board, £36.50 Lillian Daph, Saltburn
Eden wooden long board, £16.50 Habitat, branches regionwide
Shepherds Purse Cheeses
Leachfield Grange, Newsham, Thirsk YO7 4DJ
shepherdspurse.co.uk
In the late 1980s Judy Bell began her mission to create quality dairy-alternative cheese for those with allergies to cow’s milk. Having grown organically over the years, as well as picking up a number of awards along the way, Shepherds Purse have expanded their range and it now includes sheep’s, cow’s and water buffalo’s milk cheese. Our pick is the Harrogate Blue, a luxuriously creamy cheese with a mellow peppery finish – it goes perfectly with crackers and caramelised onion chutney.
Read More: The Best Foodie Gifts from the North East and Yorkshire to Get Your Partner this Valentine's Day
Wensleydale Creamery
Gayle Lane, Hawes, Wensleydale DL8 3RN
01969 667664
wensleydale.co.uk
In the market town of Hawes, the team at this famous creamery are custodians of a 1000-year heritage. Their skilled cheesemakers handcraft artisan cheese to time-honoured recipes, using fresh, subtly sweet milk from local family farms. Shop everything from freshly cut cheese to waxed cheese truckles, classic Yorkshire blue, smoked, fruity blends and traditional cheddar on their website, or visit their creamery to sample the cheese onsite and get some expert advice. Look out for their limited edition Wensleydale and cranberry heart cheese created just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Andalucia Deli
82 Galgate, Barnard Castle DL12 8BJ
01833 695826
This unique deli in the heart of Barnard Castle is home to a variety of charcuterie and local produce, including plenty of jams and chutneys. If cheese is what you’re after, head to The Cheese Game counter which stocks more than 200 types of local and international cheese, as well as all the accompaniments such as honey, crackers and olives, to make the perfect sharing board.
Northumbrian Pantry
northumbrianpantry.com
Handmade in Northumberland with the highest quality ingredients which, are either foraged seasonally from orchards and hedgerows in the Tyne Valley or sourced from local suppliers, Northumbrian Pantry’s jellies, jams, chutneys and preserves are delicious. Try the red onion relish to accompany a traditional sharing board, or to mix things up, we like the spiced beetroot and apple chutney with soft goat’s cheese and cooked meats. Stockists regionwide.
Marbled acacia cheeseboard, £54 Anthropologie, Leeds
Bee slate cheese board, £26 justslate.co.uk
Maltby serving board, £75 Neptune at Bridgewater Interiors, Gateshead and Wylam
Farne Island puffin board, £22 Powder Butterfly, powderbutterfly.com
Read More: The Husband and Wife Team Who Make Botanically Led, Alcohol-free Spirits
Rosebuds Preserves
rosebudpreserves.co.uk
Established in 1989, Rosebud Preserves create fresh and flavoursome chutneys, jams, jellies, pickles and honeys using in-season ingredients, as well as traditional recipes and techniques. Try Rosebuds’ Old Yorkshire Chutney (it’s one of their bestsellers) to pair with Wensleydale or farmhouse cheddar – bur for something a little different, we recommend the warmly spiced Green Tomato Chutney. Shop online or at stockists Yorkshirewide.
Yorkshire Cured Meats
2B Knaresborough Road, Harrogate HG2 7SP
07562 417124
yorkshirecuredmeats.com
Combining locally-sourced, grass-fed produce with Hungarian curing techniques and Portuguese airing traditions, Yorkshire Cured Meats offer a range of delicious charcuterie perfect for any sharing board. From sliced pancetta and prosciutto to bresaola, salami and lonzino, there’s plenty to shop online and in store.
Cryer and Stott Cheesemongers
20–24 Station Road, Allerton Bywater, Castleford WF10 2BP
cryerandstott.co.uk
Established in 1960, the team behind Cryer and Stott Cheesemongers have a combined experience of more than 60 years in the industry and are on hand to offer their expert advice on how to create the perfect sharing board. Inside their award-winning independent shop you’ll find more than 700 British cheeses as well as a selection of charcuterie, antipasti, biscuits and chutneys.
Fat Lass Preserves
fatlasspreserves.co.uk
If you’re looking for a chutney or jam with a twist, Fat Lass Preserves have you covered with their delicious range of artisan and award-winning preserves. The spicy Spanish pepper chutney goes great with cooked meats, or try the lemon and onion tandoori masala chutney with cheese for something a little different. Shop the full range of preserves online or find Fat Lass Preserves at local markets across the North East.
