The perfect charcuterie board combines contrasting flavours and textures: creamy and firm cheeses, folded cured meats, crisp savoury biscuits, fresh or dried fruit, something pickled and a little sweetness.
For a balanced board, choose three cheeses, two cured meats, two savoury accompaniments, one fresh fruit, one preserve and a handful of nuts or olives. Allow approximately 100–150g of cheese and meat per person when serving the board as a light meal, or 60–90g when serving it before dinner.
What should you put on a charcuterie board?
A well-balanced charcuterie board normally contains:
•Three to five cheeses with different textures
•Two to four cured meats
•Savoury biscuits or crackers
•Fresh and dried fruit
•Olives, cornichons or another pickled ingredient
•Nuts
•Honey, chutney or fruit preserve
•Fresh herbs or seasonal garnishes
•Suitable drinks
You do not need to include everything in large quantities. A smaller selection of thoughtfully chosen ingredients will feel more generous and coherent than a crowded board filled with unrelated flavours.
How much charcuterie do you need per person?
If the board is being served before a meal, allow approximately:
•40–50g of cheese per person
•30–40g of cured meat per person
•Six to eight savoury biscuits or crackers per person
•A small handful of fruit, nuts, olives and pickles
If the charcuterie board is the main meal, increase the cheese and meat to a combined 100–150g per person and provide additional biscuits, bread and accompaniments.
It is sensible to buy slightly more biscuits than the calculation suggests. They are often the first item to disappear, particularly when several drinks and flavour combinations are being explored.
Choose three contrasting cheeses
Cheese gives the board richness, salt and variety. Choose different textures and levels of intensity rather than three cheeses that perform the same role.
A dependable combination is:
One soft cheese
Brie, Camembert or a soft goat’s cheese supplies creaminess. Serve it whole or cut out the first portion so guests know where to begin.
One firm cheese
Mature Cheddar, Comté, Gruyère or Manchego adds a firmer texture and deeper savoury flavour. Cut some pieces in advance and leave the remainder intact.
One distinctive cheese
Choose blue cheese, washed-rind cheese, smoked cheese or an aged regional variety. This gives the board a bolder flavour for guests who want it.
Remove cheese from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before serving. Cool cheese has less aroma and flavour, while cheese left out for too long may become oily or lose its structure.
Add two or three cured meats
Cured meat brings salt, fat and savoury depth. Select meats with different textures and seasoning.
Good options include:
•Prosciutto or Jamón
•Fennel or Milano salami
•Coppa
•Bresaola
•Chorizo
Fold thin slices of prosciutto into loose ribbons and arrange salami in overlapping rows or small clusters. Avoid covering the board with flat layers of meat; creating height makes the selection look more generous and helps guests serve themselves.
For a vegetarian board, replace the meat with marinated artichokes, roasted peppers, grilled vegetables, stuffed vine leaves or additional cheeses.
Include savoury biscuits with character
Crackers are often treated merely as a base for cheese, but a well-chosen savoury biscuit can contribute its own flavour and connect the food to the drink being served.
Drinks Biscuits are hand-baked in the Scottish Highlands and combine cheese, herbs and spices selected to accompany particular drinks.
Choose one or two flavours according to the rest of the board:
Italian Cheese & Sweet Basil
Italian Cheese & Sweet Basil Drinks Biscuits suit Brie, prosciutto, Parmesan, green olives and fresh grapes. Serve them with Champagne, Prosecco, Chardonnay or lighter beer.
Gruyère Cheese & Tarragon
Gruyère Cheese & Tarragon Drinks Biscuits complement Comté, mushroom pâté, mild charcuterie and cornichons. They work particularly well with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and aromatic white wine.
Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion
Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion Drinks Biscuits provide a fruity, savoury character with a mustard finish. Pair them with mature cheese, ham, pickled onions and chutney, accompanied by IPA, lager or cask-finished whisky.
Pecorino Cheese & Rosemary
Pecorino Cheese & Rosemary Drinks Biscuits suit firm Italian cheese, salami, olives and roasted peppers. Their sharp, herbal flavour is a natural partner for gin and tonic, a Negroni, Gavi or Grüner Veltliner.
Mature Cheddar & Smoked Chilli
Mature Cheddar & Smoked Chilli Drinks Biscuits have enough intensity for aged Cheddar, chorizo, smoked meat and fig preserve. Serve them with Malbec, Shiraz, cider, darker beer or smoky whisky.
Arrange the biscuits in several small fans or stacks rather than one large pile. This makes them easier to reach and allows you to place each flavour beside its best accompaniments.
Add fruit and something sweet
Fresh and dried fruit balance the salt and richness of cheese and cured meat.
Try:
•Fresh grapes
•Sliced pear or apple
•Fresh figs
•Dried apricots
•Dates
•Cherries or berries when in season
Apple and pear should be cut shortly before serving to prevent browning. A little lemon juice can help, but use it sparingly because excessive acidity can clash with wine.
Add one or two sweet accompaniments such as fig preserve, quince paste, honey or onion chutney. Serve loose preserves in small bowls to prevent them spreading across the board.
Include pickles, olives and nuts
Pickled ingredients refresh the palate between richer bites. Cornichons, pickled onions, caper berries and marinated vegetables all work well.
Choose olives according to the character of the board. Mild green olives suit lighter cheeses and white wine, while darker or herb-marinated olives can accompany cured meats and red wine.
Almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews add another crisp texture. Use unsalted or moderately salted nuts so the overall board does not become excessively salty.
Check for nut allergies before serving and keep nuts in a separate bowl when necessary.
How to arrange a charcuterie board
Use a wooden board, marble platter, slate board or large ceramic plate. It should be large enough to hold the ingredients without forcing everything into a single layer.
Assemble it in this order:
1. Position the cheeses around the board.
2. Add small bowls for olives, pickles and preserves.
3. Fold or roll the cured meats and place them near suitable cheeses.
4. Arrange the savoury biscuits in small stacks or fans.
5. Add fresh and dried fruit.
6. Fill smaller spaces with nuts, olives or herbs.
7. Add cheese knives, small spoons and cocktail sticks.
Place larger items first and use smaller ingredients to fill the remaining spaces. Aim for abundance without hiding the individual components.
If the board will be photographed, vary the shapes, colours and heights. If it will be eaten immediately, prioritise easy access and logical flavour groupings.
What drinks go with a charcuterie board?
The best drink depends on the strongest cheese, meat or seasoning on the board.
White wine
Sauvignon Blanc suits goat’s cheese, herbs and fresh vegetables. Chardonnay works with Brie, Camembert, Gruyère and richer charcuterie. For more combinations, see our white-wine snack guide.
Red wine
Pinot Noir works with Brie, Gruyère, mushrooms and delicate cured meat. Merlot suits medium-strength cheeses and salami, while Malbec or Shiraz can handle mature Cheddar, chorizo and smoky flavours. Explore our red-wine pairing guide.
Champagne and sparkling wine
Champagne and Prosecco are versatile because their acidity and bubbles refresh the palate after cheese, charcuterie and savoury biscuits. Italian Cheese & Sweet Basil Drinks Biscuits are the principal Drinks Bakery match. Read our guide to the best snacks for Champagne.
Beer and cider
Lager and Pilsner work well with salty, moderately flavoured boards. IPA suits mature cheese, mustard and stronger charcuterie. Cider is particularly good with Cheddar, Lancashire cheese and pork-based meats. See our beer and cider pairing guide.
Gin and cocktails
Gin and tonic suits goat’s cheese, Pecorino, rosemary, olives and lighter charcuterie. A Negroni can accompany aged cheese, salami and bitter or pickled ingredients. Discover more ideas in our guide to cocktail-party nibbles.
Whisky
Lighter whisky works with mild cheese and Italian Cheese & Sweet Basil Drinks Biscuits. Cask-finished whisky suits Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion, while smoky whisky needs mature cheese and controlled spice. Explore the complete whisky snack guide.
Common charcuterie-board mistakes
Avoid these frequent problems:
•Serving every cheese directly from the refrigerator
•Choosing too many strong cheeses
•Using only salty ingredients without fruit, pickles or sweetness
•Providing too few biscuits
•Cutting everything into identical pieces
•Pouring runny preserves directly onto the board
•Using very spicy food with delicate wine
•Overfilling the board so guests cannot serve themselves
•Forgetting separate knives for strong and mild cheeses
The aim is balance. No single cheese, meat, condiment or biscuit should dominate every bite.
A simple charcuterie-board shopping list
For four to six people as a generous starter, buy:
•One soft cheese
•One firm cheese
•One distinctive cheese
•Two cured meats
•Two flavours of savoury biscuits
•One bunch of grapes or two pieces of seasonal fruit
•One dried fruit
•One jar of olives or cornichons
•One preserve or honey
•One packet of nuts
•Two complementary drinks
This provides enough variety without making the board difficult to assemble or overwhelming to eat.
Shop savoury biscuits for a charcuterie board
Explore Drinks Biscuits created to complement wine, gin, whisky, beer and cocktails.
For a board served with several different drinks, the Drinks Biscuits Mixed Variety Pack makes it easy to compare flavours and discover a favourite pairing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cheese board and a charcuterie board?
A cheese board focuses principally on cheese and its accompaniments. Charcuterie traditionally refers to prepared or cured meats, although modern charcuterie boards commonly combine meat, cheese, biscuits, fruit, nuts, pickles and preserves.
How early can you prepare a charcuterie board?
You can portion cheeses, fold meats and prepare bowls several hours in advance, but keep them covered and refrigerated. Add savoury biscuits, nuts and cut fruit shortly before serving so they remain crisp and fresh. Remove the cheese approximately 30 minutes before guests eat.
What are the best crackers or biscuits for a charcuterie board?
Choose crisp biscuits that are strong enough to hold cheese but flavourful enough to enjoy alone. Include a relatively mild option alongside a more distinctive savoury biscuit matched to the drinks being served.
Can you make a charcuterie board without meat?
Yes. Replace the cured meat with extra cheese, marinated vegetables, mushroom pâté, hummus, stuffed vine leaves, roasted peppers or artichokes. Retain contrasting textures and include something salty, something fresh and something pickled.
What should you serve after a charcuterie board?
If the board is a starter, follow it with a relatively simple main course rather than another very rich dish. If it is the main event, finish with fruit, dark chocolate or a light dessert that suits the final drink.
