How to Build a Beautiful Cheese Board
A cheese board completes any gathering, any time of year. Try our tips for styling the perfect crowd-pleasing cheese board.
Chef in Residence Noreen Wasti is an expert at creating a festive grazing spread. We took her holiday tips and updated them with ideas for year-round gatherings. Bring out the wine, set up a beautiful little spread and satisfy your guests with ease.
Mix it Up
When it comes to the perfect cheese board, there are no rules: feel free to mix cheeses, crackers, charcuterie, slices of bread, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, marinated olives, even crudités and dips.
Choose Multiple Cheeses
We recommend two to four types of cheese for a group, ideally a mix of textures and flavors so each guest can find one they love. Try a soft goat’s milk cheese, a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese with a rind, a firm aged cheese, and something creamy or tangy, like blue cheese. Also, try pre-cutting the firmer cheeses to make it easier for guests to dig in.
Use What You Have
Smaller plates or vessels work just as well as large boards. Sometimes having smaller plates with different components can look more beautiful and undone!
Think Seasonally
Reach for unconventional — or seasonal — ingredients as they pop up at your local farmers market. There’s always room for carrot and celery sticks, but for Spring, try colorful asparagus spears, snap peas, bright radishes, cucumbers, pears, berries, or sweet cherries.
An Eye for Imperfection
Noreen agrees that imperfection is always better: “I know the rule is to cluster everything in perfect piles, but I say mix it around a bit. It looks more relaxed and less Pinterest’y in my opinion!”
Just Add a Drizzle
Drizzle crunchy vegetables, fruit slices, and bread with Brightland’s AWAKE olive oil to bring out their flavor.
Get Dipping
Add a couple little bowls for dipping bread, crackers, or cheese in our delicious ARISE basil-infused olive oil or RAPTURE blackberry balsamic vinegar.
Soft and Sliceable
Leave cheeses out at room temperature a few hours before digging in. It makes the texture so much better.
Don't Forget the Brie
Soft, mild cheese like brie or burrata are always crowd pleasers. Elevate the presentation by covering the round in thinly sliced fruit (like apples), chopped pistachios, and Brightland’s California Orange Blossom Honey.
