FOR those not so keen on the typical chocolate advent calendar this Christmas, why not try a Cheese Advent Calendar.

Created by food blogger Annem Hobson, from So Wrong It's Nom, the Cheese Advent Calender will be available to buy in ASDA, Sainsbury’s and Booths nationwide from November.

After pitching the idea, the calendar was put into production with the help of innovative cheese specialists Norseland in Ilchester who are behind cheese brands, Jarlsberg, Applewood, Mexicana and Ilchester.

The calendar will include 24 individually wrapped cheeses and has a unique ‘book style’ packaging design.

This allows one half to be torn off after the initial 12 days of Christmas to maximise fridge space.

The Cheese Advent Calendar that costs £8 to £10 (dependent on retailer) includes:

  • Jarlsberg – Famous around the world for its distinctive sweet and nutty taste. Smooth, distinctive and rounded, it has a hint of sweetness and a unique flavour.
  • Applewood – A real English treasure. Applewood is made in the West Country from British cheddar and has a delicate smoky flavour and a lovely smooth texture, all finished with a dusting of paprika for good measure.
  • Ilchester Mature Cheddar – Ilchester’s Cheddar comes from the West Country near where Cheddar originated in the Mendip Hills. Take a bite and let the creaminess melt into your mouth, with earthy tangy notes.
  • Ilchester Red Leicester Cheese – Smooth and Nutty! Add a splash of colour to your cheese board with this traditional English cheese based on a classic Cheddar recipe.
  • Ilchester Wensleydale with cranberries – Traditionally made with a smooth and creamy gold award winning Wensleydale. It is creamy and smooth and perfectly paired with juicy sweet festive cranberries.
  • Ilchester Edam – Dutch Edam selected by Ilchester for its smooth and creamy flavour.
  • Limited Edition Ilchester Wensleydale with Gingerbread – Adding more magic to Christmas eve, Wensleydale and Gingerbread has the delicious sweet flavour of Gingerbread biscuits.
  • Mexicana – Cheddar cheese with a spicy personality, packed with an abundance of bell peppers and hot chilli spices.

New for this year, there will also be a smaller product called The Cheese Cracker.

Creator Annem said: “Thousands of people have supported my #CheeseNotChoc campaign, and I’m so proud of how far the Cheese Advent Calendar has come.

"Not only are we adding more cheeses this year, but I’m finally unveiling my latest invention: The Cheese Cracker! I shared a prototype of this last year, and nearly 4,000 people sent in their feedback on how to bring the idea to life.

"I’m so proud of what we’ve created and couldn’t have done it without the support of the cheese lovin’ fanbase!”

So, what does The Cheese Cracker priced at £3 include?

  • One stick of Ilchester Cheddar Cheese made in the West Country in the Mendip Hills
  • One stick of Ilchester Red Leicester Cheese, with a smoothy and slightly nutty taste
  • One personal-sized jar of Tiptree Tomato Chutney
  • Five mini oatcakes
  • 1 hat
  • 1 cheesy joke!

All cheeses are suitable for vegetarians and the advent calendar must be kept refrigerated.