The Cheese Lover's Gift Guide - Pt 5 (London style)

For the significant other

Because you shouldn't put a price on love.

Splurge: A cheese-tasting event for two at Neal's Yard Dairy. Tons of tutored tasting events run all year long—January's got winter cheeseboard, beer & cheese, mountain cheeses, and cheddar & stilton tastings, at £50/$83 a pop, for instance. Cheese, food, wine, and super-nice host Chris George. Heaven. Check out nealsdairyshop.co.uk.

Save: A tasting excursion through Borough Market for two (free). For best results, peruse the cheesemongers' tables, putting on a serious/exaggeratedly curious face as though thoroughly interested in buying various blocks of cheese for a party of some sort. Asking questions helps too, like "What would you pair this with?" And say "thank you," for crying out loud. Cleanse your palate with some bread and olive oil from the olive oil guys. Open Thurs-Sat, across from London Bridge tube station.

The Cheese Lover's Gift Guide - Pt 4

For the kooky, eccentric friend

Because she can see the art in everything and loves a good backstory.

Splurge: A gold cheese ring ($599/£350) by Japanese designer Taadaki Wakamatsu at Q-Pot from goodasgold.co.nz. Amazing.

Save: DIY fashion. Nothing screams "BFF" louder than a handmade collection of wearable cheese. And don't fear—no need to get all Project Runway up on her. The essentials: Superglue (£3), belt, Primark (£1.50), bangle, Primark (£2), bag of 12 x 20g Babybel (£3), one stick of string cheese (50p), any extra colorful fabric you have sitting around the house.

First, split open all the Babybels and slice them into half-moon shapes that fit the width of your belt. Glue a strip of newspaper to belt, then glue Babybels onto paper. Done and done. Looks just like ivory, no? Finally, grab a bangle and wrap it with some colorful fabric. Peel string cheese stick and get crazy. Secure to bracelet either with glue or by making a fun knot. Tactile and geometric, this style is perfect for a pal who loves the 80s. Bonus: This lil' booger is actually wearable after the cheese rots!

The Cheese Lover's Gift Guide - Pt 3

For the kids

Because, like the family cat, they can be entertained for hours by the simplest, smelliest things.

Splurge: Jigsaw puzzle of house mouse on a block of cheese (£19/$32; amazon.co.uk), and a Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Maker Set ($17/£10; toysrus.com). Avoid being annoyed with "Is the pizza ready yet?" x a million by having them work on a puzzle while their food cooks.

Save: Squeezable cheese (Primula Cheese Spread, £1/$1.65), animal-shaped cheese (Sainsbury's Kids Organic Cheddar, 5 pieces for £3/$5), and a colored palette (aka paper plates and/or paper tablecloth) (£1/$1.65) to work on. Total: £5/$8. OMG how much fun is this? The best part is, unlike crayons, little Timmy and Sue can actually eat their art tools as they create fromage-filled scenes. So much cooler than an E-Z-Bake oven.

The Cheese Lover's Gift Guide - Pt 2

For the parents/grandparents
Because old people have nothing better to do.

Splurge: A three-day cheesemaking workshop at Three Shepherds Cheese in Vermont for $550 (£330 + ticket to Vermont, if appropriate), where they'll learn to make seven different types of cheese and all about aging, marketing, as well as selling cheese, pairing it with wine, cheese appreciation, and more. One-day cheesemaking classes are $150 (£90). Workshops are held on various dates from May through October. Go to threeshepherdscheese.com for more info.

Save: For a mere £8/$13, you can keep your folks busy all year long with Self-Sufficiency Cheesemaking (New Holland Publishers, 2009) by Rita Ash. This handy, easy-to-follow book featuring twenty-odd recipes for everything from Camembert to Halloumi to cottage cheese provides all the tips, tricks and tools the novice needs to turn their home into a cheese-producing wonderland. For the more ambitious, there's even a section with advice on how to sell your cheese.