6 Top Tips for Creating the Perfect Cheese Board in Minutes!
1. The Cheese Selection…. variety is the key!
You want to think in terms of taste (of course, it’s got to be delicious), strength of taste (offer a variety…not everyone likes stinky cheese!), texture (from hard and crumbly to soft and squashy) colour and shape and try to get a mix of everything.
Follow the guidelines below and you won’t go wrong: or check out our cheese board suggestions for more smart ideas for perfect cheese boards.
The best-dressed cheese boards include:
- A hard cheese…A delicious British crumbly cheddar, or for something different how about a Comté or Leerdammer®
- A soft cheese – Brie or Camembert are always winners – buy them in as a little round or ask at the deli-counter for a slice to suit the number of your guests
- A semi-soft cheese…Port Salut is mild and delicious and its bright orange rind makes it an attractive addition to the cheese board
- A blue cheese. Stilton is the traditional choice…or for something softer and lighter in taste why not try Gorgonzola?
- A flavour-added cheese…. Wensleydale with apricots is a popular choice, or why not try Boursin® with Black Pepper or Garlic & Herb?
How much per person? Allow between 30-80g cheese per person, depending on the occasion and what else you are eating. 30g is about the size of a matchbox.
2. The Cheese Board Itself… the backdrop for your cheese theatre!
Think of the cheese board as your canvas or backdrop to your delicious cheese selection.
At Port Salut, we love the natural, fresh look created by marble or slate: it gives a nice dark contrast to the cheese and you could even chalk the names of the cheeses on the boards.
A wooden board creates a rustic look. Ceramic or even glass also work well, whatever your style…. the choice is yours!
3. The crackers…keep them plain!
There’s such a variety of different crackers available nowadays, it can be difficult to choose. Our general rule of thumb is to keep the crackers plain and simple so as not to overpower the cheese.
Experts often suggest oat cakes, and the French often serve ‘plat de fromage’ with no accompaniments at all.
4. The accompaniments…. for decoration and flavour!
Grapes and fruit are often added to cheese boards. They bring a little extra decoration, as well as adding some contrasting taste and flavour.
5. Take them out of the fridge!
Like wine, cheeses need to breathe a little to allow their flavour to develop. Take them out of the fridge a couple of hours before you plan to serve them to enjoy the flavours at their best.
6. Pair with a delicious wine!
It can be tricky to know which wine pairings work with which cheeses. A simple rule for the connoisseur is white wine for fresh and soft white cheeses, and increasingly strong reds as the cheese becomes harder, whilst blue cheeses work well with sweet pudding wines or aromatic whites.
Now it’s up to you! Pressed for time?
Check out our French cheese board, our informal cheese board or our festive cheese board suggestions here.