5 Rules for the Perfect Cheese Board

Nothing sets the tone for a party like a well-arranged cheese board. Think of it as a portal to the dinner you have prepared for guests; or, if you're just serving drinks, then the feast itself. Some people – including a handful of expert home cooks and dinner party hosts on the Borough Kitchen team – have a certain je ne sais quoi for making cheese boards look beautiful and taste divine. Below, we gathered their top five tips for elevating a cheese-and-charcuterie spread to a work of art.

First things first: Use a wooden board. Harder surfaces, like marble, will make the blades of your cheese knives blunt very quickly. We love the classic handled cheese boards from Laguiole. For a more rounded, asymmetrical style, choose from our wooden boards from Noyer or rustic olivewood boards. Our olive ash Borough Kitchen boards, made in Devon, as well as the heritage Italian chopping boards from Marcato are boards that are built for daily use, but make beautiful cheese boards as well. 

Having dedicated cheese knives – i.e. soft cheese knives that have holes in them, so the cheese won’t stick, or knives with prongs for lifting cheese onto your plate – is a nice touch that signals a cheese board pro. But the most important thing is each cheese has its own dedicated knife, so it’s easier for guests to reach and there is no mixing between the cheeses, which will dilute the individual flavours.

The heart of any cheese board is, of course, the cheese. Aim for a mix of flavours and textures. Borough Market Store Manager Anne has a winning formula: a soft cheese, a hard cheese, a blue cheese, a goat cheese. Each of these has a different texture and a different flavour profile. You don’t want to have two of the same cheese categories – a Brie and a Camembert, for example. Even if they are both wonderful, their similarities will mute their nuances.

If you have a large group of guests, four types of cheese is plenty. It’s better to get two the same soft, hard, blue and goat cheeses than eight different cheeses that will confuse the palate. Quality over quantity, always.

Marketing Manager Georgia has another great tip for large party sizes: break the cheeses in half, or buy two of each, and place them on different sides of the chopping board so they are easier for guests to reach. Alternatively, place the cheeses on two separate chopping boards, on different sides of the table.

Anne makes sure there is some green on her board, even if it is purely decorative – like placing a cheese on a fig leaf, or piercing a cheese with a rosemary sprig. Celery sticks and grapes are great ways to add colour to a board while providing contrasting textures and flavours to enjoy with cheese. Walnuts or pecans are classic cheese board nuts, and dried fruits (figs and apricots in particular) are always welcome.

If you are serving butter, olives, cornichons, jams, and/or honey – all good ideas – both Anne and Georgia say it’s best to serve them in small bowls and ramekins around the board. That’s because these ‘wet’ ingredients spread or leave a liquid trace on the board, so it’s better to keep them more contained. It goes without saying, but never serve them in their original packaging – make use of the crockery in your house.

Anne likes to serve bread on a different board than the cheese. This keeps the presentation neater, and gives guests another board to reach for (so there is not as much guest traffic around the cheese board!). It also ensures that the flavours and smells of the meat do not impart onto the cheese, which your vegetarian guests will appreciate.

As for crackers or bread? Serve both. Especially if you have gluten-free guests, and would like to serve crackers free from any dietary restrictions. For bread, baguettes or bread with nuts or fruits baked into it are lovely complements to cheese – just make sure they are sliced and cut into two-bite pieces.

Cheese tastes best at room temperature. Take your cheeses out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before serving. This enhances their flavors and ensures a creamy texture for soft varieties. Meanwhile, keep accompaniments like fruits and nuts fresh by adding them just before serving.

But the most important rule of all is to have fun, and let your wonderfully arranged cheese and charcuterie spread keep guests happy (and distracted) while you add finishing touches to the main course.