Tips for the perfect cheese board

With all the pundits predicting an austere winter and spring, many of us will no doubt be opting to entertain at home, rather than go out for meals. Tony Chuck, owner of Teddington Cheese, says that business is already booming as people and reviving the dinner party and consequently giving more consideration to the cheese course.  He has two shops in SW London (Teddington and Richmond) and is also one of the UK's foremost online cheese retailers.

"You only need to pop into either of our shops on a Friday or Saturday to see how popular cheese has become," he says, "The cheese board tends to be a major part of the meal today, whereas a few years ago it was something which was far less considered, and consequently enjoyed less."

Here are Tony Chuck's guidelines for putting together the perfect cheeseboard:

What to select?

While we tend to stock an extensive selection of British cheeses, we recognise that in some cases, the very best is worth travelling to find. Visitors to our shops are always encouraged to taste the cheese before they buy, and our careful selection  of the very best examples of each cheese type allows them to compare a number of cheeses and, in many instances, change a preconception of a cheese they thought they knew.  

For the ideal cheese board, I believe less is more. It is better to serve a good sized portion of a select number of cheeses than lots of small pieces. For serving 4 - 6 people, three or four cheeses should be ample - I would suggest one blue cheese - currently we are selling lots of Crozier Blue, a delicious lightly veined ewe's milk blue cheese from Co. Tipperary. It has a creamy texture and a mildly sweet flavour.

The hard cheese I recommend is one of my favourites, and a recent discovery; Cirone a rare Swiss cheese made from cows  milk and perfectly aged to give a nutty flavour and a hint of crystallisation.  It is a new cheese to our shops and not dissimilar to Parmesan, but in our opinion infinitely preferable.

Goat's cheese is usually a welcome addition and another recent addition to our range is Capria - an unusual mould ripened soft cheese made in Worcestershire by the Lightwood Creamery. It has a luxurious creamy texture and a rich, 'goaty' flavour.

And of course, many people would consider a cheeseboard incomplete without a slice of good cheddar - Montgomery's is probably our most popular. It has been made in Somerset by the same family for generations and consistently wins awards. It is a flavoursome, nutty cheddar.

Biscuits or Bread?

This is a matter of personal preference but what I would say is that the cheese should be the hero and the bread or biscuit should be as plain as possible - they are just a 'carrier' for the cheese.  And, you shouldn't really need to serve butter with cheese.

Accompaniments

Many of us automatically serve grapes or celery sticks with our cheese.  At Teddington Cheese we stock a selection of accompaniments, including chilli jams, membrillo (quince jelly) dried figs and a range of chutneys.  Personally, in the same way that the biscuits shouldn't detract from the star of the show, I feel only small quantities are required, or they can overcomplicate the flavours,

Storage

Unless you are one of the lucky few with an old fashioned pantry or larder, we recommend storing cheese in the fridge.  We wrap all our cheeses in waxed paper which is best for keeping them fresh until needed.  Store the cheese in the top of the fridge and remove a couple of hours before it is to be eaten.  Allowing it to breathe and come to room temperature will greatly enhance the flavours, and enjoyment in eating the cheese.

And finally, the much debated question of when to serve the cheese course - do you serve it after the dessert or before? 

It doesn't really matter, but perhaps it does make sense to follow our fellow Europeans and serve it before the dessert......but then again, there is something rather pleasant about lingering over the cheese and port at the end of a meal. The choice is entirely yours!

For lots more information on the 140 cheeses stocked by Teddington Cheese and to order online, visit teddingtoncheese.co.uk.