With the festive season round the corner, a charcuterie board is a simple, easy and informal way to entertain friends and family without spending hours in the kitchen.

The beauty of this sort of pick and mix selection of deli meats, cheeses, fruits, pickles and crackers is that it can be any size you like and serve just a few people or a large crowd. 

Here's some guidelines to assembling and serving the perfect board…

To Serve: 

First, choose your serving board or platter - this is where the Cole & Mason selection of stylish Barkway Acacia Chopping Boards or Berden Serving Board come into their own. You can go for one large board which will serve 6-8, or for feeding a crowd, choose 2-3 different sizes. 

If you have guests that are meat free it may be a good idea to have two separate boards – one just for meats and one for cheeses. You’ll also need a selection of small bowls for pickles, chutneys and olives. 

The one thing to remember is to fill the board as much as you can, overlapping slices of deli meats and cheeses. Nestle small bowls, prepared fruit and nuts into any gaps and don’t worry if crackers, fruits and herbs spill over the sides of the boards. 

Have a stack of small plates with napkins ready and provide small spoons and forks for people to help themselves. Serve the charcuterie boards on a large table that has plenty of space around it. Or for a smaller gathering, place one board on a large coffee table that guests can sit around. 

Charcuterie: 

There is a huge range of charcuterie meats to choose from in delis or supermarkets. Salamis are the most popular so pick a few different ones such as Italian Napoli, Milano or pepperoni along with a meaty textured German variety and some spicy Spanish chorizo.

Keep an eye out when shopping for more speciality meats with added herbs or nuts for extra flavour and interest.  Then add some slices of softer cured meats such as Parma or Serrano ham and mortadella for different texture and flavour. The beauty of these meats is that they have a reasonably long fridge life so you can gradually build up a selection ready to serve at short notice. 

Arrange the sliced meats on the board in small groups either overlapped, folded, quartered or simply ruffled. For a more impressive serve arrange some salami slices into a flower by folding 8-10 slices of salami over the rim of a small glass, slightly overlapping each slice. Then invert the glass onto the board and lift it away to leave a flower shape.

Cheeses: 

As with the meats you have a whole host of cheeses to choose from. A round Camembert makes a great centrepiece. For a festive touch mark the top with a star cookie cutter and top with some fresh rosemary and a sprinkling of ground black pepper or crushed chillies.

Hard cheeses, such as a mature Cheddar, a nutty Red Leicester or Spanish Manchego are all good choices too and can be served sliced, cubed or broken into small chunks with the tip of a sharp knife. Don’t forget classic blue cheeses too, such as Stilton or a creamy and mild blue Cambozola - they add a tangy flavour contrast. Avoid very soft and runny cheeses as they will make the board messy.

Chutneys, Pickles and Olives: 

To offset the richness of the meats and cheeses, add 2-3 small bowls of pickles, chutneys and olives. A mild caramelized onion chutney is a firm favourite along with a spicy chilli jam or a sweet and tangy fruit relish. Add a bowl or two of mixed olives in an herby oil (preferably pitted) or drained caper berries – they have a wonderful salty and lemony flavour and go particularly well with salami.

Fruit and Nuts: 

Add colour, crunch and sweetness to the board with a selection of prepared fruit and nuts. Sliced fresh figs and halved clementines are perfect for a winter sharing board as well as small bunches of black, red or white grapes or small pomegranates broken in half.

Dried figs, apricots or dates will also work well. A few walnut halves, pecans, roasted salted almonds or pistachios scattered across the board add the finishing touch.

Crackers:

Keep an eye out in local delis or Artisan food shops for unusual crackers to serve on the board such as fruited crispbreads or herbed sourdough. Choose a variety of shapes and stack around the other ingredients.

You probably won’t fit as many as you need on the board so have plenty more on hand to refill the gaps as they get eaten. You can also serve a basket of warmed French or Ciabatta bread slices.