How to Create the Ultimate Cheeseboard: Hosting Tips and Artisanal Product Picks

There’s something undeniably special about gathering friends and family around a beautiful cheeseboard. The holiday season gives us the perfect excuse to go all out, curating a spread that’s both visually stunning and packed with delicious flavours.

As the founder of breakin'bread (and well before I started my own crispbread brand), I've spent countless hours crafting boards that bring people together. I’m here to share my top tips for building a truly memorable board – one that’s guaranteed to impress, with an emphasis on using the products of some of our amazing artisanal and independent UK producers.

Ready to create a holiday showstopper? Here are my five essential steps to crafting the ultimate cheeseboard, featuring some favourite cheese, charcuterie, and crispbread pairings. You can find links to all recommendations at the end of the post as well as some wine tips. Let's get crackin'!

Step 1: Choose Your Cheeses

For a well-rounded cheeseboard, aim for a balance of flavours, textures, and colours. My rule of thumb is to include at least three types of cheeses:

Soft & Mild: A rich, creamy brie or camembert is a must for any cheeseboard. They're a great choice that most people will love. Try Tunworth from Hampshire, a British take on camembert, for a deliciously earthy flavour.

Tip: If you need a vegan cheese for the board, my go-to is always Nettle's Haverstock White. It's so delicious and well-worth a try whether you're vegan or not.

Hard & Aged: Aged cheddars are always a hit and getting a Montgomery’s Cheddar from Somerset won't disappoint. It's got a lovely nutty profile that balances the richness of softer cheeses.
Blue & Tangy: A bold blue cheese like Colston Bassett Stilton is a classic as we get closer to Christmas. Stilton is perfect for the season as it pairs beautifully with festive flavours like cranberries and figs. But if you want to save the stilton for later, I highly recommend trying Isle of Wight Blue, it's creamy and very dreamy.

If you’d like to include more, consider adding a goat cheese for something tangy or a washed rind cheese for a funky twist.

Step 2: Select Your Charcuterie

Just as with the cheeses, variety is key here, so choose two to three different meats. If you're keeping your board meat-free, you can skip to the next step and add more pairings.

Salami: Cobble Lane Cured offers incredible British-made charcuterie, like their fennel salami, which has just the right balance of herbs and spices.
Bresaola: I'm personally a fan of leaner cuts of meat and hence a sucker for Bresaola. London Smoke & Cure do a great one, cured with fresh rosemary garlic and citrus zest. So delicious with a bit of camembert and fig jam on a rosemary breakin'bread.
Chorizo: A bit of heat can really elevate the cheeseboard. Try The Real Cure's Dorset Chorizo Picante or their Wild Venison Chorizo, either pairs beautifully with creamy cheeses.

Step 3: Add Pairing Sides

For a cheeseboard that truly sings, don’t stop at cheese and meat. Here’s where you can add complementary flavours and textures:

Fruits: Fresh and dried fruits bring natural sweetness that balances out the saltiness of the cheese. Add a mix of grapes, figs, apple slices or dried apricots. I always try to choose something that's in season, as it'll be easier to find high quality produce.
Berries: Although they are not in season, adding a small bowl of berries will elevate any board. Make it moody with some blackberries or brighten it up with some raspberries.
Chutneys: A quality fruit preserve can transform a bite. I love Rosebud Preserves Fig Chutney with blue cheese or What A Pickle Red Onion Marmalade - both are perfect for the holiday season.
Nuts: Add one type of nut, such as Food & Forest Roasted Almonds or natural, shell-on Pistachios, for crunch. They pair beautifully with aged cheese and add visual appeal to your board.
Olives: A small bowl of olives is always a great edition. I always choose olives with stones in rather than pitted as I find they feel fresher.

Tip: Be mindful of balance here – you don’t want to overpower the board with too many options and flavours, so choose about five things from the above.

Step 4: Crispbreads and Crackers

This is where breakin'bread comes in! An award-winning, light crispbread like ours is the perfect vessel for any cheese and topping combo. Breakin'bread is deliciously slow-roasted for optimal toastiness and airy crunch (no stodgy crackers here), making them the perfect base for any cheeses without overpowering the flavours. Because our crispbreads are gluten-free (made with buckwheat flour), everyone can they enjoy them - regardless of dietary requirements.

Arrange breakin'bread in small stacks or fan them out around the board for easy access and an elegant touch. We love adding slices of sourdough baguette to the mix as well.

Tip: Try pairing the pumpkin seed breakin'bread with a blue cheese and fig chutney and the rosemary breakin'bread with a creamy white cheese and a drizzle of honey. Yum!

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Step 5: Arrange and Garnish

Now that you've got all your cheese, charcuterie, sides and crispbread selections ready, the final touch is all about presentation. Use a large wooden board or slate tray to lay out your items, and leave space for guests to serve themselves without crowding. I like to place the cheeses and any small bowls/ jars of nuts/ olives/ chutney first. Arrange everything spread them out across the board, in a slightly asymmetrical pattern – it looks more inviting than a perfectly symmetrical layout. Once you've got a good layout down, add your charcuteries and fill in any remaining gaps with fruits/ berries and sprinkle out loose nuts.

Tip: Start by placing each cheese in a different spot on the board, leaving space for people to easily reach each one.

Bonus Tips for Wine Pairing

Cheeseboards become even better with the right wine! Here are a few pairing ideas:

Soft Cheeses: The light notes of brioche in Champagne really bring out the best in a creamy brie for example.
Hard Cheeses: Bold reds, like Syrah or Malbec, certainly complement hard cheeses but I'm loving a lighter red with my aged cheddar at the moment, and highly recommend going for a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais

Tip: Pop your light red in the fridge a little before serving, it's a hit!

Blue Cheeses: A sweet dessert wine, like a Port, balances the saltiness of for example a Stilton - match made in heaven.

And there you have it – a foolproof guide to creating a show-stopping holiday cheeseboard! Using carefully chosen, independent brands from around the UK, including our very own breakin'bread crispbreads, guarantees a spread that’s as delicious as it is visually captivating. So gather your loved ones, pop a bottle of wine, and let the festive feasting begin.

Angie xx

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