Chocolate advent calendars are fine, but if the person you’re buying for would rather open a door to a wedge of cheddar than a square of milk chocolate, you’re in the right place. A cheese advent calendar swaps the sweets for something savoury, and it’s become one of the most searched-for food gifts of the Christmas season.
This guide covers our own cheese advent calendar, the 12 Days of Cheesemas, along with how to use it, how to store it, and how to build your own if you’d prefer a full 24-day countdown.
What Is a Cheese Advent Calendar?
A cheese advent calendar works exactly like a chocolate one, except each day reveals a different cheese. They’ve grown in popularity over the last few years as an alternative for savoury-toothed adults, and they make a particularly good gift for anyone who has already got everything else.
Most cheese advent calendars fall into one of two formats. Some are 24-door calendars with small cubes or portions of cheese behind each door, usually sold through supermarkets for a short window in the run-up to December. Others, like ours, are 12-day countdowns with a proper portion of cheese for each day, closer to a gift box than a novelty calendar.
The 12 Days of Cheesemas
The 12 Days of Cheesemas is our take on the cheese advent calendar: twelve 100g wedges of flavoured cheese, one for every day of the countdown, packed in a Christmas gift box. It’s priced at £34.99, which also clears our free delivery threshold of £30.
Because every portion is a full 100g wedge rather than a bite-sized cube, each day gives you enough cheese for a proper cheese-and-crackers moment, a sandwich, or a contribution to the cheeseboard. And because the cheeses are vacuum-sealed and long-dated into 2027, there’s no pressure to eat them on a strict schedule.
What’s Inside
Each box contains twelve different flavoured cheeses from our cheese wedge range, so every day brings something new. The range runs from traditional favourites like vintage cheddar through to more adventurous flavours such as our Charcoal Cheddar. It’s a good way for someone to work their way through the range and find their favourite.
Order early for Christmas: Cheese advent calendars sell fastest in November, as people buy ahead of 1 December. Order the 12 Days of Cheesemas early to make sure it arrives in good time, or browse the rest of our Christmas collection.
Why 12 Days Instead of 24?
A 12-day format means bigger portions and better cheese. Fitting 24 doors into a calendar usually means tiny cubes, and cheese is one of those foods where a decent portion makes all the difference to the experience. Twelve proper wedges feel like a treat each day rather than a nibble.
It also gives you flexibility in how you use it, which a 24-door calendar doesn’t.
Two Ways to Use the 12 Days of Cheesemas
1. As a countdown to Christmas. Start on 13 December and you’ll open your last cheese on Christmas Eve. Start on 14 December and the final wedge lands on Christmas Day, ready for the cheeseboard. This is the most popular way to use it.
2. For the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas. The original Twelve Days of Christmas run from Christmas Day to Twelfth Night on 5 January. Opening one cheese a day across that stretch is a nice way to keep the festivities going through the quiet days between Christmas and New Year, when everyone’s grazing anyway. It also means the cheese arrives on the table exactly when the leftovers and cheeseboards come out.
There’s no wrong way to do it. Plenty of people open two on a Saturday night with a bottle of wine.
How to Store Your Cheese Advent Calendar
The cheeses should be kept in the fridge, ideally between 0 and 5°C, until you’re ready to open them. Because each wedge is individually vacuum-sealed and long-dated, an unopened wedge will keep well right through the countdown and beyond.
Once you’ve opened a wedge, rewrap any leftover cheese in wax or baking paper and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for a few weeks. Take each cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before eating, as cheese tastes noticeably better at room temperature. For the full detail, see our guide to how long cheese lasts in the fridge.
If you’re giving the box as a gift, let the recipient know it needs to go in the fridge rather than under the tree.
What to Eat With Your Daily Cheese
A cheese advent calendar is even better with a few accompaniments to hand. A box of sourdough crackers and a jar of chutney turn each day’s wedge into a small occasion. Our Chilli Jam works brilliantly with the milder flavours, and a classic Cheeseboard Chutney suits mature and vintage cheddars.
If you want to go further, our guides to what chutney goes with cheese and wine and cheese pairings cover the pairings in detail.
Want a Full 24 Days? Build Your Own
If you’d rather have a cheese for every day of December, a DIY cheese advent calendar is easy to put together and makes a thoughtful homemade gift.
What you need: a selection of cheese wedges (they’re £3 each, and buying any six saves 10%), a box or set of numbered bags, and a few small extras such as crackers or a jar of chutney for the weekend days.
How to do it: rather than 24 separate wedges, which is a lot of cheese, mix it up. Use full wedges for the weekends and special days, and fill the weekdays with smaller treats like cheese nibbles, crackers, a salami or a chutney. Number the bags, keep the cheeses in the fridge, and fill each one the night before so everything stays fresh.
It takes more effort than buying a ready-made box, but it lets you tailor every day to the person you’re making it for.
Is a Cheese Advent Calendar a Good Gift?
For the right person, it’s one of the best food gifts going. It’s a gift that keeps giving for twelve days, it gets used rather than put in a drawer, and it suits people who are hard to buy for. It’s also a good option for anyone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, or who simply prefers cheese to chocolate.
If you’re looking for more ideas, our Christmas cheese gift guide covers hampers and boxes at every budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cheese advent calendar in the UK?
Yes. The 12 Days of Cheesemas is a UK cheese advent calendar with twelve 100g flavoured cheese wedges, one for each day of the countdown. Some supermarkets also sell 24-door cheese advent calendars for a limited period, though these usually contain small cubes rather than full portions.
When should I start a 12-day cheese advent calendar?
Start on 13 December to finish on Christmas Eve, or on 14 December to finish on Christmas Day. Alternatively, open one a day from Christmas Day to Twelfth Night (5 January) to follow the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas.
Does a cheese advent calendar need to be kept in the fridge?
Yes. Even though the cheeses are vacuum-sealed and long-dated, they should be stored in the fridge between 0 and 5°C. Take each cheese out around 30 minutes before eating for the best flavour.
How long does the 12 Days of Cheesemas last?
The cheeses are dated into 2027, so there’s no rush. Unopened wedges keep well in the fridge throughout the countdown. Once opened, rewrap any leftovers and eat them within a few weeks.
Can I send a cheese advent calendar as a gift?
Yes. Enter the recipient’s address at checkout and add a gift message. Just let them know it needs to go straight in the fridge.
How much is a cheese advent calendar?
The 12 Days of Cheesemas is £34.99, and orders over £30 qualify for free UK delivery. Building your own 24-day version from individual wedges costs a similar amount or more, depending on how many full wedges you include.