What if your guests are complaining about the boring beige buffet at your table? That simply won’t do! Instead, why not delight your party guests (or even just friends and family) with a spread that’s as tantalising for the eyes as it is for the tastebuds?
Grazing tables and boards started as a wedding trend about three years ago and quickly became a social media hit — and now they have acquired a Christmassy twist.
Don’t be sad about limp cheese straws and sausage rolls. You can forget about the idea of a cheese and-pineapple hedgehog. This Christmas, your nibbles are nothing if they’re not fully festive.
Laura Billington (author of Inspired Grazing) has designed a number of show-stopping grazing platters for Inspire, including a Charcuter Tree and a Cracker Board. Read on to discover how to get the look — and the taste.
Berry Merry Wreath
Laura Billington shares how to please your guests by creating a delicious spread that is as appealing for the eye as for the palate.
- Sprigs of rosemary 40g
- 50g saucisson
- 2 fresh plums
- Three slices of fresh or dried orange
- Double Gloucester 30g
- 65g cherries
- 50g raspberries
- Blackberries 50g
- 50g Mixed-Color Grapes
- 90g olives
- 75g pearl mozzarella
- Redcurrants 125g
- 1 pack of Sourdough Crackers or any other crackers you choose
- Choise the sweet chutney you prefer
A paddle chopping or other circular board of approximately 30cm diameter is recommended.
To create a circle, spread the rosemary sprigs along the boards edges.
The saucisson can be cut into smaller pieces and placed on top of the rosemary.
Split the figs into halves and place them equally on the board’s ring.
You can cut the orange slices in semicircles, and then arrange them around your board.
To cut Double Gloucester into stars, use a small star-shaped cutter. Cut the cheese into smaller cubes, approximately 2cm wide. Your wreath will be completed by placing the cheese stars.
Place the blackberries, raspberries, and cherries around the board. Distribute the colours equally.
The grapes can be halved vertically, and the juices should be added to the garland along with the olives.
Spread the pearl mozzarella all over your board. Fill in the gaps with the remaining ring.
Last, arrange your redcurrants in small clusters all around the board. Enjoy your Berry Merry Wreath with lots of sourdough crackers as well as a sweet condiment of your choosing.
Vegetarian Bauble
- 100g of brie
- 100g Cheddar
- 65g raspberries
- 25g of physalis or cherry tomatoes
- 100g of green, seedless grapes
- 20g of frosty Cranberries
- Walnuts 20g
- 30g Red Seedless Grapes
- 25g Salted Almonds
- 10g cherry tomatoes (or kumquats)
- For garnish, add a few fresh rosemary leaves and frosted cranberries.
Use a pizza or round paddle board to wrap your handle in ribbon. Place the handle on top of the board and cut the Cheddar into diamond-shaped pieces.
Then, arrange the almonds in a shape W below the cheese.
Place the raspberries on top of the cheddar
Take half the grapes, and then add the green to the raspberryberries and red to the almonds.
Place the triangles of brie on top of the green grapes.
Your board should be filled with walnuts. Physalis. Physalis. Garnish with edible gold leaf and rosemary.
Enjoy creating your very own designs with any cheese, vegetable, fruit, or berry.
Vegan cracker
- 2 x 135g Peter’s Yard Vegan Seeded Sourdough Flatbreads
- 65g cucumber
- 120g dry apricots
- 200g any colourful vegan dip (I used roasted red pepper from M&S)
- 100g vegan smoky Cheddar
- 100g vegan Cheddar
- 80g pomegranate
- 20g dried cranberries
- 100g frozen cranberries
Add fanned flatbreads to either side of a large platter board. The dip should be placed in the middle of the board, in a small ramekin.
Cut the cheese into cubes or triangles, and place them on the board. Then, add the cucumber, cranberries, and apricots to fill any remaining spaces.
Any fruits and vegetables can be replaced with other favorites such as celery, carrot batons, grapes, or tomatoes.
To give it the Christmas spirit, attach a ribbon at either end.
Charcuter-tree
- Salami 280g
- 75g pieces of small salami
- 80g saucisson
- 85g Chorizo
- 150g Cheddar
- 200g Orsom Blue (or another cheese)
- 50g figs
- 150g Mixed Olives and Caper Berries
Recipe: Rosemary and frosty Cranberries as garnish
Line a rectangular tray with baking parchment.
Draw horizontal lines across the baking parchment to create a triangle-shaped shape.
Start at the bottom and add the salami. Fold it in half again, and make a chain that runs across the board.
Then, cut the blue cheese into small pieces and add the row to your board. Each row will get shorter as you go up.
Slice the saucisson into pieces and then add to the board. The caperberries, olives, and figs are next. Place the Cheddar triangles on your cutting board.
The chorizo, smaller salami pieces and the Cheddar snowflakes can be added to your tree. You can press Cheddar cheese using a cookie cutter or cut star-shaped shapes with a knife. Add the frosty Cranberries and rosemary to garnish.
To make frosty Cranberries, add 100g of granulated Sugar to a large saucepan of hot water. Stir until it dissolves. Mix the cranberries in the syrup. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Leave the mixture to cool on low heat for at least a couple of hours. With a slotted spoon, remove cranberries. To coat the cranberries, add 100g of granulated Sugar.
Claudia Connell was told this.