How to Create the Perfect Cheeseboard

A perfect cheese board is just the right thing for bringing a meal to a finale or perhaps being part of a picnic or even just a tasty and light supper after a long and busy day. It’s a great way of combining flavours from both home and abroad that allows you to taste the wonderful and varied world of Artisan Cheeses; available from The Cheese Shop in Nantwich.

Here are our top tips on creating the Perfect Cheeseboard.

Balancing your Flavours

The cheese course should be a continuation of the main course and those flavours you enjoyed. So try to continue that theme. If the main course consists of a strongly flavoured dish, then opt for stronger flavoured cheeses, such as, a Smoked Cheshire or Smoked Cumberland, Roquefort and Pont-L’-Eveque. Alternatively, if your main course is a lighter dish, then delicately flavoured cheeses such as Cornish Yarg, fresh Tricklemore (Goats) and Burts Blue would be an ideal match and combination.

Tastes and Textures

A great idea is to create a cheeseboard that will combine different tastes and textures. The classic combination of Stilton, Brie and Cheddar is always a winning choice on any cheeseboard. But why not be a little more adventurous? How about creating an all blue cheeseboard? Try a combination of Bath Blue, Cashel Blue, Burts Blue and Blue Cheshire. What about exclusively combining Goat and Ewes milk cheeses, such as; Sheep Rustler, Harbourne Blue, Ticklemore Goat and Capricorn Goats Brie? We endeavour to tempt your tastebuds and widen your choice from our range of 150 Artisan cheeses. All of which you may sample before you purchase.

How Much Cheese Do You Need?

We find that four or more cheeses produce the perfect cheese board and gives your guests plenty to choose from. Our customers tend to buy between 100g and 150g per person, which will satisfy even the most ardent cheese lover.

Biscuits and Accompaniments

Complimenting cheese with the perfect biscuit is a personal choice. If asked, we would recommend a Bath Oliver with any Cheddar, a Charcoal Biscuit with a fresh Goats Cheese (such as Pant Ys Gown) as the bitterness of the charcoal brings out the lemony, freshness of the goats cheese. Fruit Toast Biscuits work perfectly with Pont-L’-Eveque or Epoisse as the wash rind flavours are enhanced by the fruit in the biscuit.

Chutneys, Fruit Jellies and Pastes can be a marriage made in heaven when paired with cheese. Such as, Manchego paired with Quince Jelly (or Membrillo as it rightly known) works because the sour taste of the Quince Jelly counteracts the sweet, nuttiness of the ewes milk Manchego. Apple and Ginger Chutney paired with Cheshire Cheese works because the sweetness of the Apple and the warming Ginger balances the saltiness of the Cheshire Cheese. Damson Paste paired with Baron Bigod Brie works because the sharpness of the damsons cuts through the rich buttery Brie.

Nantwich Honey, nuts and dried fruit are a winning combination on its own. But try them with crumbled Wootton White or Pecorino Romano and freshly cut Celery sticks.

Roquefort cheese and a drizzle of Nantwich Honey on a Stockans Oatcake is a sublime combination of both sharp and sweet.

Drinks to Compliment your Cheeses

There are lots of options when it comes to choosing drinks which complement your cheeseboard. It can help to narrow down your options if you consider the provenance of your food.

That said, try Joseph Perrier Champagne with Brie De Meaux. As the Champagne grape grows on the same soil as the grass that feeds the cattle. Or Montgomery’s Cheddar Cheese from Somerset is perfect with a glass of sparkling, dry Somerset cider. A Cheshire Cat Blonde Ale drunk with Crabtree, an alpine style cheese from Malpas, works because of the combination of fruits. There are many exceptions to the rule of provenance, such as, Tanners Vintage Port with Colston Bassett Stilton.

We will work with your to create your perfect cheeseboard. Email us or, better still, call in ask us. We are here to help.