How to Prepare and Style a Gourmet Grazing Board: A Step-by-Step Guide

Glazing Boards are just the right appetiser to serve at gatherings. You can assemble a Bites & Delights Board ahead of time, and it will need no cooking or extra work when you serve. This means you get more time to prepare the main dish and socialise with your guests. But how do you make the feast board look amazing? Here, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide for you to prepare and style the perfect serving board!

Pick an Attention-Grabbing Board

You couldn’t go wrong with a beautiful wood serving board. Make sure it’s big enough to accommodate food for your entire group (you’d be surprised at how quickly it can fill up!). So opt for a slightly larger one to be on the safe side. Our favourite boards are the rustic modern that are very versatile and can fit with different table designs.

Create a mix of flavours: Savoury & Sweet Platter

A great tapas board begins with cheeses that vary in texture and flavour. You can choose from: Soft: Brie, Camembert, or goat cheese / Semi-Soft: Fontina, Havarti, or gouda / Hard: Aged cheddar, manchego, or parmesan / Blue: Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Roquefort. For visual interest, slice some cheese while leaving others whole. Place wedges in different directions.

The same idea for diversity goes for the other ingredients. Some good options to add are: berries, nuts, dried fruit, figs, jam, cornichons, honeycomb, olive tapenade, caramelised onion jam. Think: crunchy, sweet, salty, or briney!

Add on Small Dishes

To add even more variance, consider small bowls and tiny dishes. These are great to keep sauce-like components or small items like nuts. We love handmade or vintage, so they also double as decor for the rustic modern style.

Be sure to keep a knife somewhere on/near the board too. It’ll make sure your guests can cut off as much as they need. Our Lisbon Silver Stainless Steel Rustic Cutlery Set will add shine to your cheeseboard while keeping things functional.

Think Of It as a Landscape

Think of your tablescape as a landscape. Every element should come together harmoniously to create a cohesive and inviting setting for your guests. To design a table that complements your wooden serving board, thoughtfully select candle holders, table textiles, napkin rings, cutlery sets, and tableware that align with the overall aesthetic. For example, in this outdoor setup for a spring gathering, each piece has been carefully chosen to enhance the atmosphere and elevate the dining experience.

Keep It Simple

One tip you want to remember is, don’t complicate things! Keep it simple and practical. Stocking up on non-perishable pantry items can help with quick assembly. Like olives, crackers, jams, honey, pickles, nuts, etc. And, lastly, make sure to have fun.

At What a Host Home, we curate rustic modern accessories that are also sustainable. You can shop for your perfect cheese board setting from our collection of serving trays and boards.