15 Tips for an Instagram-Worthy Cheeseboard

Have you ever come across a vibrant, drool-worthy cheese board on your Instagram feed and thought, “If only I could make something that beautiful”? Well, artil has your back! We tested (and tasted!) every tip we could find to make the ultimate cheese board and put together a list of the essentials.

The basic ingredients

1. 1 goat, 1 sheep, 1 cow

For a foolproof selection, stick to this combination. Try to vary the softness and flavour of your cheese choices. Goat milk cheeses are usually soft, relatively mild and eponymously labelled in-store. If you want to try something a little more flavorful for your cow milk cheese, try something like a Gouda, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Mimolette. You can then pair that with a stronger sheep’s cheese — such as Roquefort, Feta or an Aged Manchego — for the perfect variation.

2. Condiments are key

Jams and jellies, mustard, confits, honey, olive or truffle oil, chutneys, harissa or chilli pastes — these are simple pantry ingredients you can spread or drizzle onto your pairings that can significantly enhance flavour profiles.

3. I dip, you dip, we dip

Guacamole, pico de gallo or salsa, tzatziki, basil or spinach pesto, hummus, or any other dip can do wonders as a flavour break from all cheese. A cute hack is to use your avocado peels as a bowl for your dips!

4. Nuts for nuts…

...And seeds and dried fruits! Pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds dried figs, and dried apricots can be an amazing addition to the board to add a bit of crunch or sweetness to any pairing!

5. The base cracker (or bread)

I prefer to stray away from plain crackers or melba toasts — I’m all about flavour! My absolute favourites are any form of herbed crackers, focaccias, and grissini. I also love an accompanying slice of toast onto which I can layer my pairings to make a tartine.

6. Fruit crackers

Take any hard fruit (I prefer pears, but apples work too), wash thoroughly and cut into slices, horizontally. Reassemble the fruit and place it back onto your tray; it looks great aesthetically, and using fruit slices as base crackers are game-changing!

7. Additional nibbles and snacks

Mini tartines, tarts or small desserts, viral favourites like peppers stuffed with cream cheese and Takis, veggie skewers (Caprese skewers with cherry tomatoes are a crowd favourite!); anything that can be eaten in one bite is a great palate cleanser addition.

Choose wisely

8. Don’t be scared of flavour

Don’t shy away from extending the range of flavours on your board with some wild cards. A dessert platter could benefit from some stronger cheeses or chilli flakes, where a savoury platter would do well with some honey and maybe even some sweet speculoos cookies! Strong spices like togarashi or harissa paste, smoked or flavoured cheeses, sour pickles or olives, and bitter cocoa nibs pair surprisingly well with milder bases!

9. Colour contrast

Orange and yellow cheeses, blue and red berries, light green apples and pears, multicoloured nuts, dark green herb garnishes, jams, jellies, mustards and honey — try to vary the colours you pick as much as possible for a beautifully saturated board!

10. Texture is taste

Alongside varying your flavour options, make sure to vary your texture options too. Offer both hard and soft cheeses, crunchy nuts and smooth spreads, crumbly grissinis and juicy fruit crackers to avoid a repetitive dining experience.

11. Veggie and fruit origami

We’re now entering advanced cheeseboard territory. If you really want to up your aesthetic game, try to make some tomato hearts, cucumber roses, watermelon radish flowers or berry stars!

12. Garnish for the gram

Fresh rosemary, mint, basil, rocket leaves, watercress and thyme can do wonders in adding colour, finesse and flavour to your board!

Board assembly

13. Cheese cutting

To make things easy for self-service, cut your hard cheeses into edible chunks or slices, and leave your softer cheeses either whole or in larger wedges with accompanying serving cutlery. Varied cheese cuts are a quick and easy way to elevate your board!

14. The simpler the base the better

Try to use single tone or unembellished trays or boards. Slate, metal, mirror, and wood are all great options that won’t detract from or conflict with the beauty of the spread. Use matching or similarly muted cutlery, bowls and spoons to deliver a single overall aesthetic, and let your food do the talking.

15. Order of operations

Try to create pockets or lines of colour by concentrating the placement of each item you add to the tray, and then placing contrasting coloured elements beside each other. Start with your blocks of cheese, larger dip bowls and fruit crackers if you choose to add them. Then add in your condiments (preferably near the cheeses you would pair them with), and additional snacks and nibbles. Sprinkle in your fruits, nuts, and crackers, wherever you find empty patches. Finally, garnish with your veggie and fruit origami and herbs wherever you find the space, or over and around your cheeses! If you want to be even more extra, add toothpick flags to label your cheeses.

And there you have it: a perfect board for your next wine night. As for pairings: be adventurous! Try to mix up your textures and tastes — while a cracker with goat’s cheese, almonds and honey or focaccia with some pesto, parmesan and basil leaf might be guaranteed winners, bold choices like a pear cracker with blue cheese and caramelized walnuts might end up the star of the show! Happy cheesin’!