My top tips for creating the perfect cheeseboard

We love a good cheese pairing - seasonal fruit is always a good shout mixing sweet and savoury.

1. Think about how much cheese, and how many of each, you'll need. Sounds obvious but I get asked a lot about the quantity of cheese people need. It very much depends on the event and the people. If it's for a cheeseboard which will be the main food, then of course you need more than if it's just for dessert or to have as an appetiser. Also, are your guests mega cheese fiends and therefore will polish off the lot! I tend to say that five or six different cheeses gives enough variety without overloading the cheese board. Then in terms of how much of each,I plan for "group size plus two". If you are just doing cheese, aim for 125-150g of cheese per person in total, if it is part of dessert or with meats, olives etc then 100-125g will usually be plenty. And if you have some left over at the end, bonus!

   
   

2. The age old question...which cheeses to have? Start with some crowd pleasers which tend to be a blue, a soft cheese and a cheddar. I like to use this as a starting point and build out. Baron Bigod is my go-to brie and you can't go wrong with either a Colston Bassett Stilton or Oxford Blue. Then you've got a bit of leeway to go for something that's a bit out there...something to make a statement with something like a Cornish Gouda or Old Winchester, a washed rind soft cheese like a Stinking Bishop, if you know the people really well, or Cotswold's finest Rollright from Kingstone Dairy.

My personal musts on a cheeseboard include a decent Cheddar, blue and soft - a glass of wine goes down very well usually too!

3. Think about the season and what would work. Again sounds obvious but the light fresh cheeses work beautifully for summer, your buffalo mozzarella, Mrs Bells Salad Cheese (a feta-like cheese) or halloumi paired with plum, beetroot or apple chutney. In autumn and winter, think depth of flavour and more comforting/filling cheeses such as your red leicesters, smoked brie and traditional cheddars (the Isle of Mull Cheddar is one of my favourites).

   
   

4. And what about pairings? I love the cheese tasting nights we do at The Cheese Place because basically I get to experiment with all kinds of weird and wonderful combinations, the taste testing I do with the team is one of the perks and I have tried a lot of cheese with a lot of pairings. For me, it's mixing sweet and savoury that works well, adding fudge, jam or honeycomb can be a nice alternative to chutney if you want to mix it up a bit. And you can't go wrong with a quince jelly or a drizzle of honey either, the latter is especially wonderful with a fresh goat's cheese. I have found that certain fruits with cheese such as strawberries and blackberries can really change the flavour and add a different texture, yummy!

A cheeseboard is nothing without the people! Definitely best enjoyed in the company of friends and family.

5. Don't over flavour your cheese board. Flavourings in the cheese are designed to give them more oomph but you may want to think about how strong or traditional you go. For example, subtle flavoured cheeses like Sage Derby, Garlic Yarg, Y Fenni (ale and mustard or Tintern (onion, chives and shallots) can add depth of flavour without overloading the palate. Or if you wanted to go bold, you may opt for something like the El Gringo (chilli and lime) or a truffle brie (a favourite at Christmas). Pick one and do it well rather than overloading your board.

6. Keep the crackers and biscuits simple. As the tip above, you don't want to overpower the senses. I'm a fan of the humble water biscuit on cheese boards as well as something a bit more substantial like an oat biscuit and think about what would work with the texture of your cheeses too. Something runny needs to be able to be spread on a cracker whereas a heavier cheese like a cheddar has a bit of weight to it and so the biscuit needs to hold it up.

   
   

7. Consider something as a palate cleanser. You may be thinking of a drink, which can work, but you can also have a cheese that pairs your palate back such as a farmhouse Cheshire cheese, creamy Lancashires, Wensleydale or even a Cornish Yarg. These all have grassy notes and citrus tones which can help balance the flavours out and keep your palate fresh and ready for more.

8. Enjoy it with friends. The best thing about a cheeseboard apart from the cheese is who you share it with. It's why I love what I do. Cheese brings people together. It's emotive, the smells, the flavours envoke memories of good times - here's to many more involving cheese!