How to construct the perfect cheese board
| 6th December 2020
A savoury lovers’ Christmas Day will always finish with a cheeseboard. However, they are getting more extravagant year on year, with plenty of accompaniments to remember for the big Christmas finale.
Whether you are barmy for brie or crackers for camembert, we have created a guide to the perfect Christmas cheese board to top off the festivities.
The main event on the plate, is the cheese. There has to be a wild variety to separate the simple cheddar lovers from the controversial stilton enthusiasts.
Artisan Cheeses Wheel, £20 – The Cherry Tree
The Cherry Tree may be renowned for their chutneys and jams, but this cheese wheel would be the perfect centrepiece for the last Christmas course.
From caramelised onion to honey and fig, this contains 8 different and desirable flavours of cheddar. This would be perfectly complemented with The Cherry Tree’s chutneys and would create a faultless cheese and biscuit.
For this substantial selection, it only costs £20 and I’m more than sure every cheese fan will not be left disappointed.
Speaking to The Cherry Tree they said: “Make sure your first four cheese choices break down in to the following categories to create balance and appeal to everyone around the table. One soft cheese (E.g. Cornish Camembert), one semi-soft (E.g. Cherry Tree Vintage Cheddar), one ‘crunchy’ or hard cheese (E.g. Aged Gouda) and one blue cheese (E.g. Dorset Blue Vinny). Two of our favourites are The Cherry Tree Inferno cheddar and a nice Cornish Yarg!”.
Hartington Blue Stilton Cheese, £4.99 – Cheshire Cheese Company
Love it or hate it, stilton is the king of the cheeseboard. The powerful, creamy and soft cheese may not be for everybody, but always deserves a place on the plate.
This specific stilton from the Cheshire Cheese Company was a Gold Winner at the 2015 International Cheese Awards and Best Artisan Cheese at the Global Cheese Awards in 2018. So regardless of the divisive opinion, stilton still holds a prized position on the board.
Collection Brie en Croûte, £14 – Marks and Spencer
This will take your cheeseboard to the next level. This showstopper is a cheese dream and will end your Christmas day on a high with the extravagance of this brie centrepiece.
The smooth cheese is encased in puff pastry and is to be baked for dipping. Get stuck in with some bread to dunk.
The Classic CHUTNEY
As cheese fanatics will know, nothing complements cheese more than a good chutney. With so many on the market this year, which ones should you go for?
Savoury Starter Pack, £18 – The Cherry Tree
The Cherry Tree are admired for their flavoured chutneys and jams and are essential to the perfect Christmas cheese board.
This savoury starter pack will take you on a chutney adventure as you get a little bit of everything for the big day. This set includes six of their favourite and most popular jars, including flavours such as Spicy Tomato & Caramelised onion to Real Ale chutney.
This variety will provide a cheese and chutney heaven for everyone at the table.
Boxing Day Chutney, £4.99 – Selfridges
There is always room for more the next day, so start as you mean to go on with this Boxing Day Chutney. This Selfridges treat is jam-packed with apple, pear and plums creating a fruity sweet and savoury combo. It is also infused with festive port for that Christmas feel and will be a great addition to your cheeseboard.
Fresh Chilli Jam, £3.95 – Tracklements
For those who like a fiery kick, this chilli jam will definitely deliver. This sweet and sticky jam has won multiple awards including Great Taste Awards and Taste of the West. This spicy accompaniment will taste heavenly with some creamy cheese and is most definitely table-worthy.
Let’s go CRACKERS
A cheeseboard is not complete without biscuits, but with a bunch of different flavours, shapes and sizes, here are some of the best for a top tier board.
Chilli and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers, £2.75 – The Fine Cheese Co
Spice up your life with these chilli crackers this Christmas. These would be perfect served with a strong cheese, creating ultimate flavour! To make your cheese board aesthetically pleasing, place and stack a few biscuits around the plate. Presentation is key!
Caramelised Onion Cracker Bites, £3.50 – The Cherry Tree
The mini bites are a cheeky treat for your cheese board. Flavoured with their own chutney, these crackers are made to complement their award-winning accompaniments. All the biscuits are hand-baked, given them a homely feel round the Christmas table!
Waitrose Christmas Biscuits for Cheese Selection, £3 – Waitrose
From hexagon, squares and circles this selection has it all! The assortment of shapes and colours of the crackers will look impeccably presentable for the family over the festivities.
For the perfect effortless approach, why not get one already made and picked out for you?
Cherry Tree have the “Ultimate Lockdown Selection Box” for £55 and includes everything you would ever need for a faultless cheeseboard. From jam and cheese to pickles and crackers, this hamper will be the greatest treat this Christmas.
