What To Put On a Cheese Board + Styling Tips!

Cheese boards are a great way to bring people together and impress your guests. Whether it’s for a party, a gathering, or just a casual night in, a cheese board is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. But with so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to know what to put on your board. Our experts are here to help. 

What should be included on a cheese board? You should include a mix of 3-5 hard and soft cheeses, along with 3 chutneys that pair well with the cheeses you have chosen. To add texture to your cheese board, add nuts and berries, as well as fresh fruit, sprigs of seasonal herbs, and a pot of honey for drizzling. Finally, add two different types of crackers to your board for guests to use with the cheese. 

Read on to find out what to put on a cheese board, how you should assemble your board, and where you can buy everything you need. 

 

What Should You Include On a Cheese Board?

Cheese is simply delicious by itself, but creating a board takes things to a whole new level. We’ve outlined everything you need for a cheese board below:

Cheese

When it comes to choosing your cheeses, remember that variety is key. Include a mix of soft, hard, and crumbly cheeses on your cheese board. You could even opt for cheese made from other types of milk, such as goat’s or sheep’s cheese, to really switch it up. Brie and camembert are great mild options if you aren’t sure what your guests might like.

At certain times of the year, cheesemakers and even local supermarkets bring out special edition cheeses. In the past, we’ve enjoyed Christmas Pudding Wensleydale (yes, you heard that right!), as well as a Gingerbread White Stilton! These are an excellent way to give your cheese boards a seasonal twist.

A good rule of thumb is to include around 30 grams of cheese for each guest, this portion size can be adjusted if your cheese board is being served alongside other grazing platters, such as crudités or sweet grazing platters.

To learn more about what a cruités platter is and how you can make one of your own, read our recent blog – ‘What Is a Crudités Platter & How Do You Keep One Fresh?’

Crackers

You can’t serve cheese and chutney without crackers, right?! The right crackers should have a neutral flavour, a crisp texture, and be sturdy enough to hold up to the weight of the cheese. The crackers you choose will largely depend on personal preference, but some of our favourites include:

• Rye crackers
• Whole wheat crackers
• Water crackers
• Cheese crackers

If you’re after something more exciting, why not try:

• Toasted baguette slices
• Toasts for cheese
• Flatbread thins
• Charcoal squares 
• Crisps 

Charcuterie

Meat and cheese is a classic combination. They add a delicious savoury and slightly spicy flavour to the mix, plus you can style your meats to look beautiful on your board with fun salami rivers, ribbons, or roses. We’d recommend using prosciutto, thick-cut ham, and chorizo on your cheese board.

As mentioned in our cheese & wine pairing blog, a great rule of thumb to follow is ‘what grows together, goes together’. For example, if you’ve chosen a French cheese like a Camembert or Roquefort for your board, then choose charcuterie from that same region. In this example, we’d go for Tartine or dry-cured ham. 

If you decide to keep your board strictly cheese-only, feel free to skip this step.

We recently went away skiing, which is a great excuse to try French charcuterie!

 

 

Chutneys & Jams

Different types of cheese pair well with different types of chutney. For example, sharp cheddar cheese can be paired with a sweet apple chutney, while creamy brie cheese can be paired with a spicy tomato chutney. Our homemade Nectarine & Date Chutney works great with brie and gruyere. 

Something we’ve discovered recently and love is pairing cheese with jam, rather than a savoury relish. Try the winning combination of Gouda with an orange marmalade, or Stilton with a black current jam. The Fine Cheese Co. does a delicious selection of ‘fruits for cheese’ if you’re after a jam with a little more texture and a richer flavour.

We’d recommend one type of chutney for every two/three types of cheese on your board.

Learn how to pair cheese and chutney like an pro in this handy guide from our experts: How To Pair Cheese & Chutney

Accompaniments

Accompaniments can complement your selection of cheese and chutney, provide contrast in flavor and texture, and enhance the number of flavour combos that your board offers. We’ve outlined some of our go-to’s below:

• Fresh fruit – figs, sliced apple, orange slices, pomegranate seeds, and grapes
• Olives – kalamata, green, and stuffed peppers
• Vegetable – roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, celery sticks, and grilled eggplant
• Pickles – cornichons, baby pickled onions, pickled garlic, and pickled grapes 
• Dried nuts & fruit – pistachios, cashews, walnuts, dried cranberries, and raisins

Decorations

Whilst this isn’t a necessary step, adding decorations to your cheese board is a fantastic way to elevate the look of your board, making it a truly eye-catching table centrepiece. If you’re creating a themed cheese board, think about what elements you could incorporate to match your chosen idea. 

For example, when we create cheese boards for a summer event, we love including edible flowers for a fun pop of colour. Around Christmas time, we opt for festive sprigs of rosemary or dried cranberries. 

We love including fun touches on our cheese boards, our favourite accessory being these cute hand-carved wooden mice, which you can buy directly from our online store. Hide these cuties in between your chunks of delicious cheese to surprise guests as they dig into your board.

 

How To Assemble Your Cheese Board

Cheese boards are a great way to impress your guests and showcase a stunning range of produce. But, to make a cheese board that really stands out, it’s important to carefully consider the presentation. Below, we show you how to assemble your cheese board in a few simple steps:

1. Choose Your Board

The vessel on which you present your cheese can have a big impact on the overall look. You can use a wooden board, a slate board, or a marble platter as the base for your cheese board, but consider the look and feel that you’d like to go for. We choose marble platters for a classier dining event, and a wooden board for when we want a rustic feel.

2. Arrange Your Cheese

For easy grazing, we like to pre-cut some of our cheeses, depending on their variety and shape:

• Square blocks- create small, irregular chunks 
• Rounds – cut into thick wedges
• Soft rounds – leave as it is, and instead top with fruit or herbs
• Hards & semi-hards – lengthways into small triangles

Once prepared, lay your cheese out evenly across your board however you wish.

3. Add Your Accompaniments

When adding your accompaniments, think about which cheese the items would pair best with. For example, we place sliced apples next to a creamier cheese to encourage guests to try that as a combination. Do the same with your chutney and charcuterie. 

Try and create a ‘border’ around your board with your fresh fruits & veggies, and your cured meats – this helps to stop smaller items from falling off! Fill in any gaps with smaller items, such as nuts, dried fruit, olives, and your pickles.

5. Decorate & Enjoy!

Finish your board with the addition of seasonal garnishes, like edible flowers and springs of herbs. You could also add cute flags or cheese labels to your board so your guests know which cheese is which.

Don’t forget to serve your cheese platter with cheese knives, bamboo tongs, napkins, and plates for your guests! Cheese boards are perfect for serving at a dinner party. Find out how to host one of your own in our recent blog: How to Host a Fuss-Free Dinner Party

 

Cheese Boards & Grazing Platters From Savery Grazing

We’re huge cheese lovers here at Savery Grazing, and creating grazing platters is something we do on a regular basis! For those of you based in the Sheffield area, we offer a number of stunning grazing platters, which are available to order for your next event!

If you’re keen to learn more food tips & tricks, explore the other articles available on our website. You can also keep up to date with us on Facebook & Instagram.

Happy cheese boarding!

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