The good news is, that becoming a cheese connoisseur is easier than it would first appear. Rather than buying the dull medium cheddars head to a dairy or deli, some supermarkets have these in house which makes things easier.

There are a number of clever tips which can help you choose a delightful mixture of local cheeses. Firstly do ask for a taste, as most proud cheesemakers will be more than happy for you to sample their product. Some cheese no matter how delicious, just won't appeal to you, so don't assume it'll be nice, eat some of it to make sure!

Next, I would recommend looking for retailers stocking dated looking packet designs, as this shows a cheese seller unmoved by modernism and happily sticking to good products at their peak. Always look for individual cheeses which look appealing and fresh.

Once you get your chosen purchase home, it's important to store it properly. Air and even more so moisture is really bad news when it comes to cheese, mold can easily form on cheese which is not stored in airtight boxes. Ideally your fridge should be keeping cheeses between 34'F and 38'F. If this is the case and your cheese is well wrapped, you can expect it to last well beyond the 'sell by date' in most cases.

Fresh cheeses like mascarpone are already high in moisture so these are usually the first to go moldy. Try to keep cheeses such as this completely airtight and always use within two weeks. firmer cheeses like Cheshire, cheddar etc, could easily keep for two months. You can also freeze certain cheeses especially hard varieties like Romano and Parmesan which can be frozen for up to 3 months.

With strong cheeses like Limburger do take care to store apart from other food, their strong aromas and flavors can easily find their way into other foods.

If you store your cheese correctly there is no limit to the meals you can enjoy. Try to experiment with a variety of textures and tastes, but remember the following for best results. Cheese really does taste much better when it is served at room temperature. Take your product out of the fridge a good half an hour before serving. Remember that fresh cheeses like ricotta and queso blanco are fairly close to milk and should only be taken out of cold storage for short periods.

This cheese will deteriorate very quickly, so do be careful, if you need to use some, cut off a larger piece that you intend to grate or flake and leave the rest in an airtight box.

Amazingly those of you who are lactose intolerant can still almost all natural cheeses. During the cheese making process the liquid portion of the milk (whey) is separated from the solids. Any remaining lactose is used up by bacteria already present in cheese. As a result of this ripened cheeses such as swiss cheese contains almost 96% less lactose than whole milk. Aged cheeses like very mature cheddar and parmesan contain almost no lactose at all.