Storing and Serving Cheese

Good quality, artisanal cheese, when served with imagination and flair, can create a truly wonderful finale to a meal. However, buying from a cheesemonger who displays a wide variety of carefully matured cheeses kept in optimum conditions is only the first step to success. Storing and presenting the cheese appropriately is important for the full character and quality of the cheese to appreciated.

Storing Cheese

The best way to store is to place the cheese in a wooden box where the perfect moisture levels in the cheese are maintained naturally. If this is not possible, wrap cheeses up in their original wrappings and place them in a plastic bag, but do not seal the bag. Keep them in the bottom of the refrigerator, under the vegetables, except for cooked cheese.

Cheese hates being allowed to dry out. Very cold atmospheres (which stops the cheese maturing and affects the taste sensation) and very hot temperatures (which causes the cheese to deteriorate rapidly) also impact on the quality of cheese. It's therefore best to avoid plastic cheese domes, very cold refrigerators and sealed atmospheres, e.g. sealed plastic boxes or closed bags.

Putting a Cheeseboard Together

When putting together a cheeseboard, it is important to consider guests' tastes, the meal's theme and the season.

A Single Cheese
Serving a single, whole cheese an interesting choice. Not only is it original, but it looks great too. A whole Brie will compliment a country meal perfectly and, if entertaining a small group of friends or colleagues at home, a Mont d'Or served with a spoon presents a wonderful choice.

Don't be afraid to "dress up" a single cheese with imagination. A half Fourme d'Ambert, scooped out with a spoon, mixed with half a bottle of sweet wine, replaced in the skin, chilled and garnished with peeled, coarsely chopped pears and served with the other half of the wine is simple and delicious.

The Classic Cheeseboard
A classic cheeseboard should contain 5-7 cheeses from different families and regions. Here are two examples:

Please contact us if you would like assistance in designing your cheeseboard, or simply select one of our recommendations.

An Entire Meal
For the adventurous, serve a whole meal of cheese and discover an absolute feast of flavours.

For starters, a selection of goat's or sheep's milk cheese, from the lightest aromas to the more tasty ones. Accompany them with small fresh seasonal vegetables, dry white wine and whole grain bread.

Follow with cow's milk cheese, for example Epoisse on warm brioche, Munster with boiled potatoes or Livarot with rye-bread. Allow your guests to experiment with different combinations of cheese, bread and wine!

As a desert alternative, one might like to try the sweet/salty combination of Roquefort with a glass of quality sweet wine.

Presenting and Serving Cheese

Take the cheese out of the refrigerator 1 to 1½ hours before serving time. To get the most from a cheese, it should always be served at room temperature. Start with the mildest cheese and progressively climb the scale of flavours.

To show cheese at its finest, serve it on natural support like marble, slate, wicker, glass or straw. Using silver or stainless steel should be avoided as this affects the taste.

It is best to keep the platter simple and sober, but it should never be dismal. Decorating it with vine leaves, flowers and/or fruits will provide balance to the arrangement. Experiment with colour and shape. It is good for a cheeseboard to be attractive, appetising and the cheese should be easy to reach. Whole cheeses should be cut open to display their maturity.

Don't forget to lay out several special cheese knives which will make serving easier.

Accompany the cheese with traditional breads lightly toasted or fresh, whether they are brown, rye or leavened.