Cheese board help!

[cheesehater]

Hi

my husband has just come home and reminded me (told me for the first time) that I am doing a cheese board for a dinner party we are going to next week.

Any suggestions as to cheese range? small number of big bits, or big number of small bits? Crackers? Grapes, celery, port - yes or no? I'm doing it for about 20 people

I have about 8 days so is there a website anyone could recommend maybe or would that be really expensive? (it's his boss so maybe worth the expense??)

many thanks for any advice!!!

I would just get cheese

so Wenselydale
Brie
Goats cheese
mature cheddar
Blue stilton
Seasonal stilton - with cranberries in it
Edam
Boursin

Maybe get 2 of everything for that number of poeple

ask the host if they have actual cheese boards and if you need to bring biscuits for cheese (if so just get a nice big box that will have loads in)

is money an issue

because actually I would get dh to go out and buy 2 cheese boards full of cheese - job done

Depends on how poncey sophisticated you want to be.

I'd go for a range of things but include a bit of your locally produced organic stuff. Basically get a balance between the range of textures and types. Hard cheeses, soft gooey ones, strong stiltony type things, and get something weird - caerphilly with bara brith or some other weird thing.

Personally I'd want grapes, and maybe a few other seasonal berries. You could get really flash with this, I'd love to do it

Don't go too flash though for his boss, he might think your DH is paid too much!

No - best to go for larger quantities of a smaller number of cheeses.

One or two hard cheeses - a good, mature cheddar and a regional cheese, something like a Cheshire or a Wensledale

One soft cheese - Brie or Camembert

One blue cheese - Roquefort or Stilton

Grapes, celery and some decent chutney

Good bread and some interesting crackers.

This could be very expensive for you.....how much are you thinking of spending? Because there is cheese and there is cheese.........

If money is no object have a look at www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

If you don't want to take out a mortgage to fill the cheeseboard, perhaps check out the supermarkets. I would recommend fewer choices but bigger pieces. And buy from the deli counter (where they cut from a large cheese) rather than buying little pieces that have been wrapped in plastic for who knows how long

Once you've bought it make sure you store it properly - I think that website might give some advice...

I used to work for Neal's Yard Dairies (sorry too inept to do a link!!). I would suggest that you do few pieces of good cheese rather than a lot of small pieces. Depends how traditional you want it to be and how much you want to spend?

I would go with

Cheddar - my choice would be Montgomery's or Keens

Stilton - Colston Basset or for something different Stichelton

Brie - Brie de Meaux if you ilke something smelly or a Somerset Brie if you want omething a bit milder

Goat or Sheeps cheese - my favourite would be something soft along the lines of a Ragstone or Flower Marie but again it depends what you can get hold of

If you want something a bit different a lovely soft cheese would be a Waterloo, Blue would be Cashel Blue and Hard something like a Doddington.

I know you can do mail order with both Paxton and Witfield and Neals Yard

Good luck!!

Oh thanks very much.
I guess my budget is about £50. I wasn't sure about grapes, but will add them and I';ve seen Fudges crackers which looked nice.

I guess its 5 cheeses, 2 hard, 2 soft/seasonal and a goats cheese.

I'll have a look at the website

thanks again for all the advice