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Cheese board calculator
How much cheese, how many crackers?
Tell us how many people and what kind of occasion. The cheese figures come from the Academy of Cheese; the cracker count is our own rule of thumb.
Grams of cheese per person, from the Academy of Cheese: after dinner 50 to 75g; grazing board or drinks 75 to 100g; cheese and wine tasting 100 to 125g; cheese as the main course 150 to 200g.
You will need
400 to 600g
of cheese in total, 50 to 75g each.
40 to 60
crackers, on our rule of thumb of about one cracker for every 10g of cheese. Put out a few more than you think; they are the first thing to run out.
After a full meal, the Academy of Cheese suggests up to three cheeses.
Source for the cheese figures and the serving advice: How much cheese per person, Academy of Cheese. The cracker figure is crackers.biz's own estimate, not theirs.
Before the guests arrive
Temperature
Out of the fridge early
Take the cheese out 30 to 60 minutes before you serve it, as the Academy of Cheese recommends, so the flavours have time to come through.
Crackers
A plate of their own
Keep crackers apart from anything wet, like fruit or chutney, and open the packs at the last moment so they stay crisp.
Variety
Three kinds of cracker
A plain water biscuit for soft cheese, an oatcake for Cheddar and blue, and something with rye, seeds or fruit covers most boards.
Which cracker for which cheese →Six ways to get the board right
01
Three cheeses is plenty
After a full meal the Academy of Cheese suggests up to three cheeses. A soft one, a hard one and a blue covers most tastes.
02
Take it out early
Out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before serving, so the flavours come through.
03
One knife per cheese
Keep the blue from the Brie, and give gluten free crackers their own plate and knife.
04
Crackers last
Open the packs at the last moment and keep crackers apart from grapes and chutney, so they stay crisp.
05
Three kinds of cracker
One plain, one oaty and one with rye, seeds or fruit. That covers soft, hard and blue cheese.
06
A few spare
Crackers run out before cheese does. Put out a handful more than the calculator says.