Cheese platter: which cheeses to choose, how to arrange it and what to serve

Short answer: a cheese platter is 3–5 cheeses of different intensity (from mild to blue), something sweet (honey, figs, grapes), something crunchy (nuts, olives, croutons) and 30–50 g of cheese per guest. Cheeses are arranged clockwise from the mildest to the sharpest. With dried cheese it comes together in two minutes without a knife or a fridge — and it doesn’t sweat on the table.

Which cheeses to choose

The rule of a classic board is different families and different flavour intensity, so there is something to compare.

For a night in at home, three roles are enough: mild, aged, blue. For guests — all five. A ready-made option is the OPTIMAL set of 6 packs of different flavours.

What to add to the cheese

• Sweet: honey, fig jam, fresh grapes, pear, dried apricots. Sweet things go closer to the aged and blue cheeses.
• Crunchy: nuts (walnut, hazelnut, almond), crispy dried olives. Croutons aren’t needed with dried cheese — it is crunchy itself.
• Salty and meaty: prosciutto, jamón, dry-cured sausage — optional.
• Sour: gherkins, capers, wholegrain mustard — with cheddar and smoked cheeses.

How much cheese you need

Fresh: 50–70 g per guest as an appetiser, 100–120 g as a main course. Dried: three times less by weight, since there is no water: 20–30 g per guest, i.e. one 28 g pack per person or a 500 g pack for a group of 15–20 people. The portion looks modest, but in cheese content it equals a full one.

How to arrange it

1. A board or a large plate. Cheeses go in a circle, clockwise from the mildest to the sharpest, with gaps between them.
2. Slice fresh cheeses in advance; dried ones are simply poured out in small heaps or into little bowls.
3. Sweet and crunchy things go between the cheeses, so each one has its “match”.
4. Honey goes in a small bowl with a spoon, not drizzled on top.
5. Take fresh cheese out of the fridge 30–40 minutes ahead; dried cheese doesn’t need this — it is ready straight away and doesn’t sweat.

Cheese platter with wine, beer and whisky

With white and sparkling wine — a lighter board: mozzarella, gouda, Primaggio, grapes. With red — cheddar, smoked Sulguni, Blue Royale, figs. With beer — smoked and salty: Sulguni, cheddar, olives, nuts. With whisky — smoked and aged cheeses with honey. Detailed pairings — Wine snacks, Beer snacks, Whisky snacks.

Why dried cheese is more convenient on a board

It doesn’t dry out, doesn’t sweat and doesn’t lose its looks after three hours on the table; it doesn’t need slicing; leftovers aren’t thrown away — you close the pack and keep it for next time. And it is always available: a set of packs keeps in the cupboard for 18 months, so a cheese platter for unexpected guests takes two minutes, not a trip to the shops.

Questions and answers

Which cheeses should go on a cheese platter?

Mild (mozzarella, brie), semi-hard (cheddar, emmental), aged (parmesan, Primaggio), smoked and blue — 3–5 kinds of different intensity.

How much cheese per person?

50–70 g of fresh cheese as an appetiser, or 20–30 g of dried — it contains no water.

What to serve with a cheese platter?

Honey, figs, grapes, nuts, olives; something sweet with aged and blue cheeses, mustard and gherkins with cheddar.

What to try

Set “OPTIMAL” (6 packs), dried snEco cheese €18.30 Dried snEco Cheese “Blue Royale”, 14 g €2.47 Dried snEco Cheese “Primaggio”, 28 g €3.30

Author: Vadym Gryshyn, co-founder of snEco