Five Tips for the Perfect Cheeseboard

A delicious cheeseboard is a simple yet sophisticated way to instantly elevate any party. Whether you're hosting the get-together yourself or you're bringing a cheeseboard as your contribution to the party, these tips will help you easily get it right.

1. Pretty platters - To really make your cheese display pop, you'll want to start with a pretty cheeseboard or serving platter. From there, add in elements that compliment each other and will hold all of the extra accoutrements that will accompany your cheeses.

Verona Condiment Server // Verona Cheeseboard // Verona Hurricane Candleholder

2. Selecting the cheeses - Aim to have a nice variety with your cheeses. A mild cheese that's moist and creamy, a hard cheese that's dry and savory, and a blue cheese that has a bold flavor are a good place to start. If you are at a market with a cheesemonger, enlist their help to select cheeses. It's their job to help you pick a variety of cheeses that suit your palate, and they're usually very good at it!

3. Breads and crackers - While bread and crackers are really just a vessel for the main attraction (the cheese), the types you select are equally important. It's nice to have some breads and crackers that are more mild in flavor, as bold crackers (for example a cheddar-encrusted cracker) will have their own flavors that may or may not mix well with the cheeses you've selected. Breadsticks offer a nice palate cleanser in between trying different cheeses, and if you'd like to spice things up a bit with a cracker that has a little more flavor but won't overwhelm, try crackers with rosemary or sea salt.

4. Accompaniments - For more variety, add a few condiments to include with your cheese spread. Here, we've opted for caviar, whole grain mustard and a fig preserve. Your guests will be able to try the cheeses by themselves, as well as mix and match with the different accompaniments.

5. Play with sweet and salty - Pears, apples and figs also go great with cheese. Tangy items like olives and cornichons help cut the fat of the cheese. Grapes, of course, are always a classic to serve with cheese.

Verona Serving Tray // Verona Glass Bowl Holders