Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club

What's in the box: Three different artisan farmhouse cheeses, freshly cut from wheels or blocks, with tasting notes and cheesemaker profiles.

The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club has been shipping artisan cheese since 1994, which makes it one of the longer running clubs in this category. Each month members receive three different farmhouse cheeses chosen by a selection team led by Kathleen Calef, who has overseen the process since the company began. The club says it buys cheeses from their places of origin, such as Brie from the Île-de-France and Leicester from English farms, and it cuts each selection from whole wheels or blocks shortly before shipping rather than sending prepackaged wedges. Shipments include tasting notes and cheesemaker profiles, which add useful context for anyone trying to learn about styles and regions. The site leans toward gifting, with flexible gift ordering and a personalized message option, and the same company runs sibling clubs for beer, wine, chocolate, cigars and flowers. The homepage shows no sign of charcuterie, crackers or pairing items, so this appears to be a cheese only box. There is also no mention of choosing or excluding styles, so members get whatever the curators select that month. For people who want variety and some education without hunting through specialty shops, it is a steady, well established option. Shoppers wanting a complete board in a box should look elsewhere.