You're planning a get-together with family or friends this holiday season, and want to serve something spectacular for the table. Some bake cakes, others cook a meal, but we know why you're here – to create an amazing Christmas platter!

Here at Matchbox, we are never short of Christmas cheese board ideas and inspiration. Thanks to our ever-growing range of tableware, we're always inspired with fresh patterns and colours that come in every season. From premium Australian brands such as Maxwell & Williams, Ecology, TEMPA, and more, comes everyday pieces that will help showcase your cheeses, crackers, nuts, fruits, and more. Don't worry – we'll share with you a list of them before we continue. Shall we feast?

First things first, what to use for serving our cheese platters? Our decorative serving platters are absolute show-stoppers for any crowd. The Maxwell & Williams Mistletoe range allows you to easily set up a Christmas table without too much effort. Their red-and-green patterns do all the work for you to bring the festive season to life with your appetisers or sweet treats.

Alternatively, we also guarantee you'll love our rustic wooden cheese & charcuterie boards at Matchbox. A robust variety of rubberwood, acacia, and more from top tableware brands such as Peer Sorensen, these serving boards are not only stunning to look at. They are built to last with durable and solid features so you can serve with no worry. They come in different types of grains as well as sizes and styles so you'll never run out of options, either.

Read also: The Do's and Don'ts of Wooden Cheese Boards

Christmas Cheese Board Essentials

Now the bigger question is, what to put on a cheese board? Here are the ingredients you can get to complete your grazing board. We recommend adding them to the board in this order, too – place your cheeses in a few different spots across your serving board, and then pad in the spaces in between with your smoked meats, crackers, etc.

1. Cheese: Start with picking out what types of cheese you want on your Christmas platter. It mainly comes down to preference, but we suggest something aged (i.e. gouda, gruyere), something creamy (brie, camembert, goat cheese or other soft cheeses), and something smoked (smoked cheddar, provolone).
   
   
2. Crackers or bread: Again, no rhyme or reason for this one but a pack of your favourite water crackers or grain crackers would already make great crackers for cheese boards. Baguette slices is also an option if you'd like it to be more hearty!
   
   
3. Meats: Incorporate cured meats into your platter (you can get them from the deli!), but tread lightly. Remember it serves as an appetiser so think light slices such as prosciutto or salami that pairs well with an olive or a cracker.
   
   
4. Fruits: Our only advice with fruits on cheese platters is something as dry as possible. 1) Wooden serving boards should not be soaked in moisture, but also 2) you don't want any juices seeping into other foods on the board. That means a no to kiwi, watermelon, but a yes to berries, figs, even dried fruits.
   
   
5. Nuts: This goes without saying but before you add this component, make sure no one on the guest list has nut allergies! Many love macadamia, almonds.
   
   
6. Spreads & dips: Finally, something to give your flavourful toppers that extra zing. There are plenty of dips for cheese boards - you can go with a foolproof hummus, chutney, or even cranberry sauce.



Read also: Our 7 Favourite Christmas Food Recipes




Of course no platter is complete without a reliable set of cheese knives. Grab a few packs of these compact stainless steel cutlery to go alongside your best looking cheeses and crackers to allow guests to slice and pick up varieties of cheeses with ease! Plus, it's better for food hygiene purposes as guests won't need to be touching your food directly in order to enjoy them.

Tips on Serving a Christmas Charcuterie Board

1. Keep at room temperature

A cheese platter on a sunny day sounds terrific – until one hour in when your cheese and chocolates start to melt and all your fresh fruits are... warm?

One way to avoid this is to keep your platter away from direct sunlight. If your Christmas party is outdoors, try to have at least a shade or parasol over your serving table. For best results, we recommend keeping it in the refrigerator until eating commences, or 10-15 minutes before. You can also just bring the platter out once guests start to arrive.

2. Colour match to your party decor

Now, a Christmas party calls for a Christmas-themed grazing board. But how does one achieve that? One tip is to match the ingredients to your party theme!

For bright and colourful, you might want to add a bit of everything, from green grapes to raspberries, pink marshmallows to cheddar cheeses. Whereas for festive decor, consider strawberries for the red-and-green to match. For more neutral or toned down palettes in your dining area, we'd opt for nuts, chocolates, white marshmallows that blend in nicely with the ambience while still adding visual interest.

3. Don't forget the drinks!

Paired with refreshments such as icy drinks, cocktails, or glasses of wine, voila! You have a serving board of delicious goodness that will also look the part.

Lucky for you, Matchbox has all your entertaining needs, gifts and more. Ready to spoil your family and friends? Craft your perfect summer cheese board from our wide range of Christmas servingware online, and get FREE Shipping applied on orders over $69 Australia wide!

Feel free to also chat to one of our friendly & knowledgeable customer service teams online or in stores who can answer your entertaining or dining queries.