The Only Guide You Need to Make the Best-Ever Grazing Table

Christmas is nigh, and with it, comes festive food like seafood on the barbie (if you’re an Aussie) and expensive cheeseboards. If you’re splashing out on those high end lavosh crackers though, why not go the extra mile and cover not just the board, but the whole table? Anyway, here’s our definitive guide to grazing in style:

THE BASE

There’s nothing like a good foundation

Whether it’s a traditionally used long table, a couple of wine barrels with a round counter on top, or Moroccan style low tables — pick one theme and roll with it.

Time to pull out your finest tableware

Good tableware elevates a boring cheese platter, into a feast fit for Da Vinci’s last supper. It might be slate platters, woven baskets, or marble or wooden platforms. Whatever you’ve chosen, it’s best if your tableware has a theme to it i.e. a combination of charcoal and gold, or a rustic mix of wooden and white.

THE FOOD

Aim high!

Figuratively, and literally. If you want to pull off the biggest, baddest grazing platter in existence, think like the pro’s do (that means no ugly plastic tubs). According to the platter pros Ultimo Catering; it’s best to place the tallest items at the back. Think stacked small plates, tall bread sticks and flower arrangements and any food on a platform. Putting these at the back creates a cascading effect and an abundant looking table, that’ll have your guest’s eyes bulging on arrival. Bonus tip; find the tallest cheese you can find for added dramatic effect.

Colour blocking is king

The grazing platters you’ve seen on Pinterest might look like a beautiful chaotic mess, but don’t be fooled, like a well-balanced painting, most grazing tables look best when colour blocked, or at least coordinated. Try bunching colours like red together and then bleed it into something orange on the table (like a rainbow), or pair opposite colours depending on the effect you’re going for. While we’re talking about the food, it helps to choose a theme too; whether it’s a Greek meze platter, Italian antipasto, Australiana or a Charcuterie — sticking with one always looks, and tastes, more cohesive.

DECORATE

With plants & props

Now comes the fun part. Depending on the base you chose, building off it with complimentary decorations will take your grazing table to the next level. If the food theme is Australiana for example and the props are white and wooden, try adding a vase with dried flowers on the table. If your tableware is mostly charcoal or slate, add some gold tea decorations and candles for contrast. If you’re a Christmas cheer kind of person, go ham on anything red and green, or reindeer shaped.

Finishing touches: fruit, nuts, jams and honeycomb

Cheese, honey, and fruit were meant for each other — so make sure there’s a good smattering of all three across your grazing table. This is where you can get creative; maybe sit a slab of honeycomb on a ceramic plate, scatter handfuls of nuts around, or place whole bunches of grapes or half cut citrus on the table. Whole pineapple or pumpkins also look effective (depending on the theme), and they’re an affordable and sustainable option too. Jars of homemade jam and preserves are another cheap but aesthetic table setting, and they taste damn good with cheese!