Our Top Tips

A flavoursome favourite

A real crowd pleaser, and an essential for any board. Try a quality farmhouse cheddar or a traditional territorial such as Lincolnshire Poacher.

 

 

A blue with character

A punchy blue cheese, packed with flavour, a must for any cheeseboard. We recommend a traditional stilton such as Colston Bassett, or a creamier, quality French Roquefort.

 

 

Perfect partners

And of course, every good cheeseboard needs some perfect trimmings to complement your cheese selections. Offer biscuits, crackers or artisan bread that not only taste great with cheese but also look fantastic as part of a cheeseboard. You might also like to include nuts, dried fruits, grapes and chutneys.

It’s not always easy to create the perfect cheeseboard that will not only excite and delight your guests but also offer enough choice to keep everyone happy.

First things first, think about the occasion you are catering for.

  • How many guests are you expecting?
  • How formal is the occasion?
  • Is there any theme to the meal?

This will give you a good indication of how many cheeses you require and what weight. As a guide, we recommend 50-60g of cheese per person when the board is being consumed at the end of a meal. We would normally suggest a minimum of 4 cheeses for any cheeseboard. This ensures a good choice for your guests, but still allows you to enjoy and appreciate each individual cheese.

 

A rich, full flavoured one

We recommend something rich, oozy and indulgent to provide a contrasting texture and appearance to a board. Try an earthy Brie de Meaux or a classic French Epoisses.

 

 

A lighter option

A fresh goat or sheep cheese is perfect to provide a lighter, palate cleansing option. Alternatively a sweet and nutty Manchego or Comte provides a balance to the punchier cheeses above.

Storing your cheese

Cheese will keep longest when stored in the fridge. Keep the cheese loosely wrapped to allow it to breathe. Avoid using cling film if possible as this can allow too much moisture to build up, encouraging mould to grow on the surface of the cheese. Waxed paper, greaseproof paper or kitchen foil are better options. Alternatively, using Tupperware can help to avoid cheeses picking up strong flavours or aromas from other foods in your fridge. Larger pieces of cheese tend to keep better than smaller pieces so keep them whole if you can.

When to eat your cheese

All of our cheeses will be sold with a use by or best before date printed on them. Adhering to these dates will ensure your cheese is not only consumed in its peak condition, but most importantly is safe to eat. Some of our cheeses such as brie and camembert will mature over time and will vary considerably from the start of its life to the end. As a guide, the closer to the best before date, the more mature in flavour and the softer the texture will be.

Young: firm, fresh and mild flavoured

Ripe: creamy texture with a fuller flavour

Mature: oozing texture with a more intense flavour

Serving your cheese

To enjoy your cheese at its best, ensure it is removed from the fridge one to two hours before serving and allow it to come to room temperature. This will allow it to develop a fuller, more aromatic flavour and a creamier texture. When cutting your cheese try and ensure that everyone gets a similar slice. If the cheese has a rind, everyone should get a piece with rind.

 

 

Selecting the perfect wine to complement your cheeses can make a big difference to the overall flavour and enjoyment of your cheeseboard, but can be a somewhat daunting task. Cheeses vary hugely in moisture content, fat content, texture and flavour. Wines, too, vary in acidity, sweetness, body, and structure so finding the perfect match is not always straightforward.

Often you will find red wine served with a cheeseboard. It often however doesn’t make the perfect match for cheese. A lot of cheeses, such as goats’ cheese and blue cheeses are much better suited to a white wine that will not overpower the flavour of the cheese. Bear in mind that the best way to bring out the flavour of a cheese is often to pair it with a contrasting flavour. For example, a sharp blue cheese may be perfectly complemented by a soft sweet wine.

Also consider that wine is not the only companion for cheese. Beer, cider, Champagne and port all make excellent cheese partners and can be a refreshing change from the norm.

 

© 2024 Eurilait