Make the ultimate festive cheese board

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And our favourite time of the year because it means gathering with loved ones in your holiday home. 

You can gather around the table in the Vogue Classique, join together in the lounge of the Dorchester or why not fill both spaces in the Gainsborough and enjoy some nibbles, Christmas music and a chat with your nearest and dearest. 

A cheese board is a classic and is great for sharing so they’re perfect for this time of the year when we’re gathering with friends and family. 

Remember - Make sure you craft your cheese board no earlier than 4 hours before your get-together to ensure that everything is fresh.

What you need:

• Cheeses
• Meats
• Fruits
• Nuts (optional)
• Dips
• Crackers and/or crusty bread
• Large wooden chopping/serving board. Like this one from Dunelm.
• Small serving bowls 
• Shape cutters (optional)

Cheese

The star of the show on a cheese board is, of course, the cheese so it’s great to have a variety to choose from. We recommend choosing at least one hard cheese, one blue cheese and one soft cheese.

Recommended cheeses:

• Cheddar
• Stilton
• Baked Camembert - Best served with crusty bread
• Brie
• Wensleydale Cheese With Sweetened Dried Cranberries
• Red Leicester Cheese
• Gouda
• Goats cheese
• Ricotta
• Gruyère
• Orexa

Meats

Add some charcuterie to your board. Cured meats can add some chewiness and variety to your cheeseboard.

You can even level up the presentation of your cured meats by making rosettes.

All you need to do is get a shot glass and fold your meat over the edges. Once you have lined the full shot glass with your cured meat add more layers until you can’t see the bottom of the glass. Then all you need to do is carefully remove the meat from the shot glass in one by flipping it over and letting it fall into your hand.

Recommended cured meats:

• Chorizo
• Salami
• Prosciutto
• Parma Ham

Dips

Dips help to advance the flavour of cheese boards by adding a touch of savoury whilst also adding texture. There's a range of dips you can choose from so there will be something for everyone.

• Hummus
• Chutney - A must-have for any cheese board. Our choices would be caramelized onion chutney, fig chutney and chilli chutney.
• Honey - If you prefer adding some sweetness to your board.

Fruits

Fruits compliment different cheeses nicely so they are a must have on a cheese board. It’s also nice to just add some sweetness to the board.

Recommended fruits:

• Apples - A must have for any cheeseboard
• Clementines - To make it festive
• Pears 
• Grapes - A must have for any cheeseboard
• Strawberries

Winter fruit options:

• Figs
• Pomegranate 
• Plums

Others

• Olives - You either love them or you hate them but olives are also a great addition to a cheese board.

• Herbs - Adding some Rosemary to your cheese board to fill in any empty spaces and to add to the aesthetic of your cheese board and they’re small little bites that add texture. You can also add basil, mint or thyme.

Make your board festive

Make your cheeseboard extra festive by shaping it into a wreath, candy cane or Christmas tree, cutting your cheese slices into shapes or adding some mince pies or festive chocolates then serve with a nice glass of mulled wine.

For more festive cheeseboard inspiration check out our Pinterest board and make sure to send us your cheeseboard creations!