The Perfect Irish Cheeseboard
A great cheeseboard is less a recipe and more an art form — one that rewards curiosity and generosity in equal measure. This autumn edition celebrates the very best of the Irish cheese season, balancing creamy soft cheeses with bold blues and aged hard varieties, all brought together with seasonal figs, toasted walnuts and a good oat cracker. We'll walk you through everything you need to build a board worth lingering over.
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- DIFFICULTY: EASY
- 15 MINS
Ingredients
Serves: 6-8
The Cheeses (choose 3–4):
- 1 soft cheese: Irish Brie or Camembert (150g)
- 1 hard cheese: Aged Irish Farmhouse Cheddar (200g)
- 1 blue cheese: Young Buck Blue from Belfast (150g)
- 1 semi-soft: Gubbeen or similar washed rind (150g)
Accompaniments::
- Fresh figs, halved
- Red grapes or sliced ripe pear
- A handful of walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted
- 2 tbsp quince paste or fig jam
- Oat crackers and sliced sourdough
- Fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs for decoration
Method
Start by placing your cheeses at different anchor points across the board, giving each one its own space. A large wooden board or slate works beautifully.
Add small bowls or spoonfuls of quince paste and jam beside the cheeses they suit best — blue cheese loves quince, cheddar loves a good chutney.
Fill the gaps generously with fruit, nuts and crackers, working from large clusters down to small fills. Tuck in herb sprigs for colour and a natural finish.
Take the cheeses out of the fridge 30–45 minutes before serving. Cheese always tastes better at room temperature.
