The Perfect Cheese Board and How To Create It

A good Cheese Platter or Cheese Board is one of the most diverse and portable snack creations and are suitable for almost any occasion. We take them to celebrations and parties of all kinds, book clubs, meetings, picnics, holiday gatherings, end of week wind downs, the list is endless. The perfect meal when the idea of cooking (and dishes) isn’t an appealing one.

There is a common idea that they are easy to create, but a few hard and fast rules apply to the Perfect Cheeseboard– and they are all about balance and texture. In both the cheeses you put out and the treats you accompany them with. Here are some of our top tips:

THE MINIMALIST

quality

Always present quality cheeses. They are the star of the show.

If you have the chance, visit a knowledgeable cheesemonger who can give you all the background information and advice on the cheeses you choose, they can even assist you in making the right choices according to style, strength and texture.

texture

Be sure to balance the offer with different styles and textures of cheese.

Everyone’s taste is quite different, so to satisfy all, consider offering combinations of the following; hard cheese like a cheddar, a soft or marinated cheese like our Persian Fetta and a matured cheese like our Camembert. Crumbly, creamy, gooey.

use labels

Use cheese markers to label cheese so everyone knows what they’re eating or be at hand to talk up the cheese.

Everyone loves a story, so if your cheesemonger has given you any engaging pieces of info about the cheese you have, be sure to share them with your guests. Or do some quick online homework on the styles you are serving up. It will impress everyone no end.

temperature

Bring cheeses to room temperature before serving, in order to bring out their true flavour.

This is super important as most cheeses will only offer half of their full flavour when eaten straight from the fridge.

THE VEGETARIAN

THE PESCATARIAN

accompaniments

Make sure you have savoury friends to go with the highly savoury cheeses and sweet friends to go with the sweet.

Pickles, olives, cornichons and mustards with the harder cheeses and figs, quince paste, fruit jams or honey to go with the softer Double Brie or Fresh Goat’s Cheese. Nuts are a must too, but again stick with quality. Roasted almonds, candied walnuts, salted cashews. Finely sliced firm pear, apply or stone fruits also work a little magic here, as do fresh or dried grapes of all kinds. To really show off, pop some real honeycomb alongside the soft cheeses for a spectacular addition.

crackers or bread?

Both. This one really comes down to the individual and some cheeses do work better on either.

Gooey, creamy cheeses work best on crusty baguettes or dense fruit breads. Sharp cheddars work well on simple water crackers to showcase their full flavours.

don’t forget

Don’t forget the knives, spoons, toothpicks, etc. Even small plates are wise when there is so much good cheese on offer.

THE OMNIVORE