Cheese, please

We eat with our eyes too, so think about colour and placement. You don’t need to splash out to make your cheeseboard pop. Stick to seasonal fruit – add thinly sliced pear, apple or plum – and a sprinkle of fresh herbs for colour and fragrance.

The more flavours you add to your cheeseboard, the more interesting and fun it will be to eat. Try including green olives for a salty kick, a drizzle of honey over goat’s cheese for a sweet spin, or adding chilli relish for a spicy twist.

Most cheese tastes best at room temperature, but why not add a baked Brie or Camembert for extra gooeyness? Roasted grapes feel luxurious: remove from the vine; toss with honey, wine vinegar and oil; then roast in a hot oven for 25 mins until soft.

Pick a range – at least one soft, one hard and one blue or goat’s cheese. A cheeseboard needn’t be expensive – you could match a simple Cheddar with an extra-special blue.

For added crunch, use mixed nuts, celery sticks, apple slices and crackers. Hard and baked cheeses are great with chunky chutneys. Add a sliced soft baguette for dipping.