Christmas here is a summer party: a long lunch, people arriving at different times, a board on the bench or out on the deck. These are three boards that suit that kind of day, how much cheese to buy, and how to keep it at its best when the weather is warm.
How much cheese per person
A rough guide: about 50 g of cheese per person when the board sits alongside other food, and about 100 g when the board is most of what people eat.
In packs, that works out like this:
Build Your Own 3 ($42.99) is three full packs, 420–840 g depending on the cheeses you pick. With other food on the table, that is a board for about 8 to 16 people.
Build Your Own 5 ($69.99) is five full packs, 700 g to 1.4 kg. That covers about 14 to 28 people grazing.
Buy a little more than the numbers say. Leftover cheese keeps for the days after Christmas. A board that runs out early does not.
Board 1: the crowd-pleaser
For a table with kids, grandparents and anyone who says they "don't really like fancy cheese".
Traditional Dutch Gouda (280 g): smooth and creamy, the safe middle of the board.
Danish Havarti (200 g): mild and buttery, with a supple texture that slices easily.
Dutch Edam (210 g): smooth, mild and gently savoury.
That is 690 g as a Build Your Own 3. Add Dutch Maasdam (280 g, nutty and sweet, with its famous holes) and Aged Gouda (240 g, rich and nutty) and it becomes a Build Your Own 5 for a bigger crowd.
Board 2: the Christmas colours
Red and green on the table without a single decoration.
Red Pesto Gouda (170 g): bold, with a pop of colour.
Green Pesto Gouda (180 g): creamy Gouda with basil and garlic.
Tricolore Gouda (180 g): colourful, creamy and a little peppery.
That is 530 g as a Build Your Own 3. Cut it into cubes so the colours show, and put it next to cherries and strawberries.
Board 3: the talking point
For the friends who will ask what everything is.
Black Lemon Gouda (180 g): a black Gouda, creamy, with liquorice and a hint of lemon.
Truffle Gouda (180 g): earthy truffle in a smooth, creamy Gouda.
Aged Gouda (240 g): rich and nutty, the one to finish on.
That is 600 g as a Build Your Own 3.
What to put beside it
Keep the rest simple and seasonal. Plain crackers and a sliced baguette, so the flavour comes from the cheese. Summer fruit: cherries, strawberries, grapes. A spoonful of honey, a few olives or pickles, and a bowl of nuts to fill the gaps. There is more on this in how to build a cheese board.
Keeping it cool on a hot day
Keep every pack in the fridge at +1°C to +5°C until the day. Take the cheese out a little before people arrive so the flavour comes back, and leave the wrapping on while it warms so the cut faces don't dry out.
Cheese can sit out for up to two to four hours at room temperature, so on a hot afternoon put out half the board and keep the rest in the fridge to top up later. Keep the board out of the sun. More in our cheese care guide.
Ordering for Christmas
Every order is cut and packed in Auckland and sent chilled with ice packs. We dispatch Monday to Thursday. Orders before 1 pm on those days go out the same day. North Island delivery takes 24–48 hours, South Island 48–72 hours, and rural addresses can take longer. Someone needs to be home to take the parcel in. Couriers get busy in December, so allow extra time. Details are on our shipping page.
Choose your cheeses in Build Your Own 5 or Build Your Own 3. If the board is a present, see our cheese gift boxes.
Traditional Dutch taste. Freshly cut & packed in NZ.