Cheese Boards & Accessories

Cheese Boards & Accessories

Whether you want to impress the guests at your next dinner party or you need a simple snack to share with friends, you can always go right with a cheese board from our tabletop and bar collection at Williams Sonoma. The cheese boards in the collection include stone and wood slabs and paddles in a variety of shapes and sizes that boast features like storage trays, pedestals and domes that protect your food and accessories. Choose the cool, clean lines of marble, or opt for the rustic appearance of walnut or oak to complement your tableware. Select combination boards that blend both stone and wood for charcuterie, or look for a board paired with a wine carafe for wine and cheese sampling.

Natural Materials

Stone, such as marble and slate, is an ideal material for a cheese board. Naturally cool to the touch, the stone keeps cured meats and cheese chilled so they don’t sweat and melt before you have a chance to enjoy them. These boards are also nonporous, so they don’t absorb strong odors from one cheese and spread it to the next. A wooden block with a deep ridge to catch crumbs doubles as a nice cheese cutter and knife are more than decorative pieces. They have blades specifically designed to slice through different types of cheeses. For soft cheese like Brie, set out a knife with a thin, straight blade. Some soft cheese knives have holes cut into their blades to help keep the cheese from sticking to the metal. Hard or firm cheeses like Manchego and Parmesan need a flat, wide knife or cleaver to slice through the dense wedges. You can also shave and grate semi-firm and firm cheeses with a plane or cheese grater that turns the cheese into a fine stack of sample-size shavings. A cheese fork gives you a better grip when slicing, and it doubles as a serving tool when you use it to pick up freshly sliced pieces. Keep your cheese accessories safe in a storage drawer when you’re not using them.

Finishing Touches

A well-crafted cheese board is attractive and practical. Choose at least two types of cheeses with contrasting flavors and textures. Add toast and crackers along with other snack foods like grapes, berries, nuts and cured meats. Provide condiments and olives in individual containers, and also include a knife for each type of cheese on the board so guests don't mix the flavors of the cheeses they sample. Label each type of cheese and condiment on the board by inserting a marker into the wedges or balls. You can also write directly on slate boards with specially designed chalk. This way, guests know exactly what they’re eating and can choose the items they definitely want to try as well as those they’re new to.

Enjoy time at home with good company and great food. Choose a cheese board from our collection to use as the foundation for your next spread.