Picky Tea & Building Grazing Boards Made Simple with our Rule of Quarters

Whether you're entertaining friends, heading out for a picnic, or putting together a relaxed family lunch, knowing how to build a charcuterie board is a skill that's guaranteed to impress. Better yet, if you're creating a grazing platter for children or fussy eaters, the same principles apply to building the ultimate picky plate; just with a little extra fun.

A great charcuterie board isn't about filling every inch with expensive ingredients. It's about balancing colours, textures, flavours and shapes so every handful offers something different. Here's how we build ours at The Real Cure.

Start with the Biggest Ingredients

The easiest place to begin is with your cheeses.

Rounds and wedges of cheese naturally take up a large proportion of your board, so placing these first helps dictate the overall flow of your arrangement. Food stylists often work in a gentle 'S' shape, leading your eye naturally around the board, and it's a trick well worth stealing.

Once your cheeses are in place, you'll find the remaining spaces almost suggest where everything else should go.

Aim for the Perfect Balance

We like to think of a grazing board in quarters.

• ¼ cured meats
• ¼ cheeses
• ¼ breads, crackers and savoury accompaniments
• ¼ fresh fruit, vegetables, dips and drizzles

This keeps every bite interesting and means guests can build their own perfect combinations without one ingredient dominating the board.

Make Your Charcuterie Work Harder

Rather than simply laying slices of cured meat flat, use them to build flavour combinations.

Some of our favourites include:

• Wrap Hartgrove Coppa around wedges of Manchego cheese.
• Blanket crisp sticks of British apple with slices of Pink Peppercorn & Purbeck Cider Salami.
• Fold salami into loose ribbons to add height and texture across the board.

These simple touches instantly elevate your charcuterie board while making every mouthful a ready-made pairing.

Add Colour with Seasonal Produce

Fresh ingredients bring life to a grazing board.

In summer, tomatoes provide an incredible burst of colour. Slice heritage tomatoes and dress them with something sweet and acidic before scattering over fresh oregano and lemon verbena to really wake up their flavour.

Figs add a wonderful touch of blue and purple - place them mindfully, next to blue cheese, white stilton, blue brie, to compliment its colour. Scatter some blueberries and blackberries in any gaps that form, again, keeping the colour palette complimentary. 

Seasonality keeps every board feeling fresh and different throughout the year.

Don't Forget the Pickles

Rich cured meats and creamy cheeses benefit enormously from a little acidity.

A pot of pickles, cornichons or pickled onions cuts beautifully through the sweetness of pork fat found within many artisan salamis.

One of our favourite additions is marinated cubes of mature vintage cheddar, which bring both sharpness and an extra savoury bite.

Feed a Crowd with Something More Substantial

If you're serving a larger gathering—or have plenty of hungry children around the table—it's worth adding something a little more filling.

A creamy baby potato salad works brilliantly, especially when finished with wafer-thin slices of our Fennel & White Pepper Salami.

It transforms a simple side dish into something guests will keep coming back for.

Homemade Dips Make All the Difference

Dips are one of the easiest ways to make your board feel generous.

One of our favourites couldn't be simpler:

Blend butterbeans with olive oil, lemon juice and a generous chunk of Dorset Chorizo Picante until smooth. The smoky paprika and chilli gently flavour the whole dip, making it perfect for scooping up with breadsticks, crackers or tortilla chips.

Add a Few Unexpected Pairings

The most memorable picky plates usually include one or two combinations guests haven't tried before.

Some favourites from our kitchen include:

• Macerated strawberries alongside cured meats for a sweet, modern twist.
• Rustic bruschetta topped with sliced tomatoes and pieces of our Dorset Bresaola.
• Fresh figs paired with blue cheese and salami.
• Stone fruits wrapped in cured meats for an effortless canapé.

These little surprises often become the talking points of the table.

Fill Every Gap

Once your main ingredients are arranged, it's time to fill the empty spaces.

Scatter in handfuls of:

• Nuts
• Dried fruit
• Olives
• Breadsticks
• Crisps or tortilla chips
• Crackers
• Fresh herbs
• Small bowls of chutneys, relishes and honey

These finishing touches make your board look abundant without requiring lots of extra preparation.

What Should You Drink with a Charcuterie Board?

We love serving our boards with something light, fresh and a little unexpected.

A chilled glass of gazpacho is wonderfully refreshing alongside rich cured meats, especially during warmer months. Crisp cider, sparkling wine or a cold pilsner are equally delicious choices if you're after something a little more celebratory.

Build Your Own Charcuterie Board

There are no hard rules when building a grazing board—only delicious opportunities to experiment. Start with your cheeses, follow the gentle 'S' shape, balance your board into quarters, and don't be afraid to mix sweet, savoury, crunchy and creamy elements together.

Whether you're creating an elegant charcuterie board for guests or assembling a colourful picky plate for the family, the secret is simple: choose quality ingredients, embrace the seasons and let everyone graze at their own pace.

With artisan British charcuterie, seasonal produce and a few thoughtful pairings, you'll have a board that's every bit as enjoyable to build as it is to eat.