The ultimate cheese board

With winter well and truly upon us, there’s nothing better than getting cosy with a glass of wine and a great spread of nibbles. Here, pro tips for assembling the ultimate cheese board.

STEP 1: Choose your board

A great wooden board is the obvious choice to use as your base, but you can also add drama by going for slate or tiers, à la high tea – and don’t just think rectangular, either. Got a wooden or stone table? Consider assembling your spread directly onto this surface.

STEP 2: Get cheesy

You’ll want a selection of milk bases (cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s) as well as textures and flavour levels: vintage cheddar and gorgonzola are powerful in the mouth, while buffalo mozzarella and brie are creamy and mild. See ‘Know your cheeses’ for tips.

STEP 3: Include savoury

Start with cured meats (salami, prosciutto, jamón, chorizo) and seafood (smoked salmon, herring, anchovies). Then add olives, pickles, artichokes, tapenades and mustard. Get crunch from nuts like almonds and cashews, and spice from dukkha with olive oil and balsamic on the side.

STEP 4: Add in sweet

There’s nothing like a jammy quince paste to complement and cut through the richness of cheese. The same goes for muscatels and other dried fruits, plus homemade chutneys and a good-quality honey (our favourite is infused with truffles) or honeycomb.

STEP 5: Now for the carbs

You can’t go wrong with freshly baked French baguette cut on a bias (homemade focaccia is also a winner), but also add in crunch with crackers and lavosh in various flavours and sizes.

STEP 6: And finally, the garnishes

Thinly-sliced apple and pear, strawberries, figs, bunches of grapes, edible flowers and fresh herbs – this is where you get to have some seasonal fun.

Know your cheeses

AGED Vintage cheddar, gruyere, gouda.

SOFT Brie, camembert, goat, mozzarella.

FIRM Manchego, Parmigiano-Reggiano, edam.

BLUE Gorgonzola, Roquefort, stilton.

Always make sure your cheeses are at room temperature when you serve them.