Which cheese should you choose for a cheese board?

How many types of cheese should you serve on a cheese board?

For a relaxed get-together, three to four types of cheese are more than enough. If you are hosting an extensive cheese tasting, you can increase this to five or six varieties. More is not necessarily better: it is all about creating variety in flavour and texture, rather than simply adding more cheese to the board.

Build up from mild to strong

Arrange the cheeses so they can be tasted from mild to strong. Start with a young, creamy cheese and finish with an aged or seasoned cheese with more character. This prevents stronger flavours from overpowering your palate before you have had the chance to enjoy the more subtle cheeses.

Combine cow, goat and sheep cheese

A board with only cow's cheese lacks variety. Add a creamy goat's cheese for a fresher flavour and a sheep's cheese for a richer, rounder finish. Combining cow, goat and sheep cheese allows your guests to discover the differences between all three in one tasting.

How much cheese per person for a cheese board?

If you are serving the cheese board as part of a selection of snacks, allow approximately 75 to 100 grams of cheese per person. If the cheese board is the main course of the evening, aim for around 150 to 200 grams per person. These amounts are only a guideline, so adjust them depending on how many other dishes you are serving.

What should you serve with a cheese board?

The right accompaniments complete a cheese board. Serve mustard or a cheese dip for a fresh contrast, fig bread or honey for a touch of sweetness, and add nuts or grapes for extra texture and freshness.

• Mustard or cheese dip
• Fig bread or honey
• Nuts and grapes