Adam Woolven, Head Chef at Island Grill on how to Create an Instagram-worthy Cheeseboard. There’s no doubt about it, Britain is a nation of cheese lovers. A cheeseboard never disappoints us Brits, but it’s even ‘feta’ when this party favourite looks ‘gouda’ enough for Instagram.
Adam Woolven,
Head Chef at the eco-friendly Island Grill,
created the 40-Mile Cheeseboard with four cheeses all sourced from within forty
miles of the restaurant. Here Adam lends his tips on how to fashion a cheeseboard
that looks as good as it tastes.
Mix It Up
Ensure your
cheeseboard has a mixture of textures (soft, hard, and crumbly), strengths and
sources, such as cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s cheese. Include at least one soft
cheese and one blue cheese, but cheddar, stilton and brie are the go-to cheeses
for a board. 80g per person should be enough for an after-dinner board and your
cheeseboard should always be served at room temperature!
Get Fruity
If you are
looking to make your cheeseboard appealing to the eye, consider filling the
board with a range of colours and shapes. Adding fresh and dried fruit to a cheeseboard
is effortless but looks impressive, as well as adding a vibrant touch. In the
spring and summer it is best to add cherries and berries; where in the winter
you should go for dried apricots, fresh grapes and apples. Cooked apples pair
particularly well with cheddar, brie and sheep’s milk cheese!
Savoury Touches
A solid
cheeseboard should include a variety of savoury and salty items such as
balsamic onions, olives and roasted nuts - walnuts paired with stilton makes
for a classic combination. Other savoury accompaniments could be celery (a
great palate cleanser between cheeses!), and of course some crackers, bread and
breadsticks.
Matching Condiments
It goes
without saying that condiments should complement the cheese. While a drizzle of
honey tends to go well over blue cheeses or goat’s cheese, for something a bit
different, pair a strawberry black pepper jam with brie, which is less sweet
than a traditional jam. Chutney tastes best with aged cheddar and quince paste
can be spread onto crackers and eaten with Manchego cheese. Make sure you don’t
forget the butter!
Make it Insta-Friendly
Sprinkle some
edible flowers, dried vine leaves or herb sprigs on the cheeseboard. As well as
adding a rather elegant touch, they will create a fragrant aroma to the board
when you serve it to your guests.