No holiday season gathering is complete without a picture-perfect grazing board full of all the best nibbles expertly curated and styled to perfection. That’s right – the humble cheese board has had a makeover, and we couldn’t be happier. Say hello to the grazing board or grazing platter (even grazing tables) where every inch is overflowing with sumptuous cheeses, pickles, charcuterie, and fruit.
While we all love a good spread, you have to step it up a notch at Christmas – after all, first impressions count! Entice your dinner party guests in with a colorful, expertly styled grazing board with something to tickle everyone’s tastebuds and be the topic of conversation.
We get it – you want to create one as aesthetic as you’ve seen on Instagram, but how do you get just the right mix of chic, rustic, and of course, appetizing?
As it turns out, there is an art to it, but lucky for you, we’ve got insider knowledge. Keep reading to discover which cheese and meats to choose, which fruit works best (and which doesn’t), and some festive styling tips on how you can really make your grazing platter a real showstopper.
Grazing board expert Jodie De Vere, founder of The Happy Platter Company, shares her top tips on how to create the perfect Insta-worthy grazing platter to wow your guests this holiday season!
SHOPPING FOR YOUR GRAZING BOARD
“You need a good mix on your graze board so no two bites taste the same! To me, that's the fun of a good graze board. I would suggest 4-5 different cheeses.
“If you can, go for artisan cheeses – you really will taste the difference. We like a good cheddar like cave-aged Wookey Hole, a semi-hard cheese like the creamy nettle-wrapped Cornish Yarg, a soft goat’s cheese (we like Rosary Ash), a stilton-like Cropwell Bishop, and of course, no cheese platter is complete without everybody's favorite – a creamy brie. You'll find most own these in a good supermarket or at your local cheesemongers.
“Charcuterie-wise, anything goes really – a selection of prosciutto, an Italian salami, chorizo, and french saucisson sec would all work well.
“For your antipasti; a good green olive, stuffed cherry peppers, cornichons, and onions are all delicious. A good cracker makes all the difference. We are big fans of the scandal-style baked sourdough crackers such as Peter's Yard or MOR. Alternatively, the Millers Toast and Damsel range are delicious also. And don't forget your nuts, and of course a selection of dips – we love our own chili jam, and you can't go wrong with balsamic red onion chutney.”
CHOOSE YOUR FRUIT WISELY
“Fruit-wise, dried fruits work really well on a grazing platter; apricots especially. Fresh fruit; you won't go wrong with a good seedless grape (I prefer a black grape personally); figs are the perfect graze board fruit that adds such beautiful texture, color, and taste divine, especially when caramelized, and strawberries too (we cover ours in the darkest chocolate we can find!)
“Apples and pears are a traditional cheese pairing but if your plan is to leave your platter out for your guests to graze on throughout the day they will turn brown and ugly quite quickly!”
HOW TO STYLE YOUR GRAZING BOARD
Now, the fun part! “I would start with your cheese first and then your meats if you are adding them – this will create little wells to drop your 'wobbly' fillers such as olives and nuts. Cut your harder cheeses into triangles and alternate the slices back and forth, and fan out your softer cheese slices. There are lots of tutorials online on how to make your meat look pretty but folding them in half and then quarters and placing them together pointed end down in a line creating a ‘river’ effect is simple and effective.
“Then just have fun filling in your gaps with all the other items by placing little handfuls of each item around your platter. Don't overthink it – there really there are no rules!
“My top styling tip would be that graze boards look way more effective when the whole surface you are creating one on is completely covered so don’t leave any gaps!”
THE FINISHING FESTIVE TOUCHES!
“The good thing about cheeseboards is they are pretty festive anyway but adding dried or fresh cranberries, or redcurrants makes them seasonal and adds that classic Christmas red color. I would also add some green foliage such as sprigs of eucalyptus or some fresh sage stems to add some green. There are some lovely Christmas-inspired chutneys on the shelves at the moment too. Finally, really make your graze board pop by placing a few edible flowers – pansies and violas are perfect. Stay away from using mistletoe or holly with berries as both are poisonous.”
THE EXPERT TIPS
Cheese connoisseur Greg Parsons, of the award-winning cheese makers Sharpham Estate, has been making cheese for 40 years. He has some expert tips for the main attraction:
“Once cheese has been cut into, it’s best eaten within a couple of weeks.”
“Don’t forget to take cheese out of the fridge an hour or two before serving to come up to room temperature.”
“Do chat to your cheesemonger – they’re often a font of knowledge and only too happy to introduce you to new cheeses, slice off tasters and help build your cheeseboard.”
YOUR TURN!
While chic grazing boards make the perfect dinner party showstopper, if you’re feeling fancy over the holiday season, why not create a masterpiece for a night on the sofa? It’s Christmas after all. Movie nights will never be the same again!
