KENTMAS
CURATING THE PERFECT CHEESEBOARD
CHEESE AT CHRISTMAS TIME IS A MUST . NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU ’ VE EATEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY , EVEN IF YOU FEEL YOU COULD BURST , IT ’ S JUST A GIVEN THAT YOU ALWAYS LEAVE ROOM FOR CHEESE . BUT CURATING YOUR PERFECT CHEESEBOARD SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN AFTERTHOUGHT ; A CHEDDAR LEFT LINGERING IN THE BACK OF THE FRIDGE FOR A FEW MONTHS IS JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT AMONG GUESTS THIS YEAR . insideKENT , ALONG WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS , ARE HERE TO SAVE THE DAY AND SHARE THEIR TOP SECRETS ON CURATING THE PERFECT SHOWSTOPPER CHEESEBOARD THIS SEASON .
First , start with the board or what you plan to display the cheese on ; this could be a piece of hand-carved oak , slate or something a little more quirky - whatever it be , make it personal . Next , consider the main element : the cheese . While it ’ s nice to have a broad selection of cheeses , we are guilty of getting over excited when choosing which we ’ d like . To save yourself hundreds of pounds and a whole lot of stress , stick to a simple formula , and multiply depending on how many people you are catering for . The general rule of thumb goes : a soft , a blue , a hard and a goat ’ s , but that isn ’ t set in stone . If your younger audience isn ’ t too adventurous , play it safe with a cheddar and substitute the goat ’ s for something more favourable ; whatever the choice , it ’ s entirely your board , so don ’ t overcomplicate things . Less is more in this circumstance .
While we ’ re thinking about cheese , there is plenty readily available at the supermarket , and most of it is usually imported , but it ’ s sometimes nice to focus on how we can support our British cheese producers . The key is not to be intimidated by less familiar cheeses , sometimes stepping out of your cheese comfort zone can really pay off . Head to your local cheesemonger or farm shop and ask what they have available , tell them about cheeses you are fond of and see what they recommend ; they ’ re bound to have some fantastic suggestions that you and your guests will love .
Cheese and crackers are a British staple , but how do you know which crackers to choose ? Should you play it safe with water biscuits , or do you go artisan ? Similarly to choosing the cheeses , you don ’ t want to go overboard with the cracker options ; sticking to two or three varieties will suffice . An aged cheese pairs well with a seeded , multigrain cracker while soft creamy cheeses suit water biscuits or crostinis . You may want to add a fruity option if you have goat ’ s cheese just for good measure .
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