How to Build the Perfect Vegan Cheeseboard

A great cheeseboard isn't just a collection of things on a board. It's a mood, a moment, a reason to pour a glass and slow down. And a plant-based version, done correctly, is every bit as lush, considered, and show-stopping as any dairy spread. We've been building them since 2019. Here's what we know...

Start with the Cheese

This might seem obvious, but the most common cheeseboard mistake is treating the cheese as an afterthought. It's the centrepiece, everything else exists to complement it.

Aim for three to four cheeses that offer genuine contrast in flavour and texture. A good rule of thumb: something soft and spreadable, something aged or bold, and something that surprises.

Something Soft and Cultured

This is your crowd-pleaser and your entry point. A fermented cashew cheese, smooth and tangy, is ideal here: elegant enough to hold its own, approachable enough for the uninitiated. Our Camden Cultured Classic is exactly this: savoury, sophisticated, and quietly brilliant on a good cracker.

Something Smoky or Aged

This is where the board gets interesting. A slowly matured smoked cheese brings warmth and depth... the kind of flavour that makes people stop mid-conversation to ask what they're eating. Our Shoreditch Smoked, with its real applewood character, does this beautifully. It holds its own against a sharp chutney and anchors the more robust end of the board.

Something Bold — Don't Skip the Blue

A cheeseboard without a blue is a cheeseboard playing it safe. A well-made vegan blue (properly pungent, slowly matured) elevates the whole spread and gives guests something to talk about. Our Brixton Blue is brooding and complex; the Balham Blue offers the same piquancy with a mellower, sweeter depth. Either way: include one! You won't regret it.

Choose Your Crackers and Bread with Care

The vehicle matters. You want a variety... something plain and crisp to let the cheese speak, something seeded or nutty for texture, and a good sourdough for the spreadable cheeses. Tear the bread rather than slicing it; it looks more generous and it eats better.

Avoid anything with an overpowering flavour of its own - heavily seasoned crackers compete with the cheese rather than carrying it. The cheese is the star. Everything else is in service of that.

Pair with Something Sweet, Something Sharp, Something Preserved

A cheeseboard lives and dies by its accompaniments, and the best ones create contrast: sweet against savoury, sharp against rich, jammy against pungent.

A few pairings we love:

With a blue: caperberries, a sweet apple preserve, or a drizzle of vegan honey (or good agave). The sweetness cuts through the funk in the most satisfying way.

With a smoked cheese: a sharp chutney (quince, fig, or a robust plum) and something pickled alongside.

With a cultured cashew: sweet onion chutney, or something lightly fruity. Sliced pear or grapes work beautifully, as do dried apricots.

A few well-chosen walnuts, some whole almonds, and a small bunch of grapes complete the picture. 

Think About Presentation

A cheeseboard should look like it was assembled with intention. Here are a few principles:

Place the cheeses first, spacing them around the board so guests can access each without reaching over another. Soft cheeses in small bowls or ramekins keep things neat and give the board visual structure. Then build the accompaniments around them.. crackers fanned out, fruit clustered in small groups, chutneys in little dishes.

Use the full surface of the board and let things overlap slightly; a sparse board looks mean, and a generous one looks welcoming. Add a sprig of rosemary or thyme if you have it: it's a small touch that makes everything feel considered.

And if you can, use a proper board: slate, marble, or a good piece of dark wood. The surface matters more than people think.

The Wine Question

A cheeseboard without something to drink alongside it is only half a cheeseboard. Our general guidance:

For a blue, pour something jammy and full-bodied like a good Malbec, or a Côtes du Rhône. For smoked or aged styles, a velvety red or a crisp, cold white. For the softer, cultured cheeses, a glass of fizz is pure indulgence and never wrong.

If you're going alcohol-free, a good elderflower cordial with sparkling water, or a dry sparkling grape juice, holds its own surprisingly well.

Make It Easier with a Ready-Made Selection

If you'd rather skip the curation and go straight to the eating, our range is designed to do the work for you. The La Fauxmagerie cheeses are built with cheeseboards in mind: different textures, different flavour profiles, each one made to be savoured rather than simply snacked on.

Learn more about The Signature Spread.

Whether you're hosting a dinner, marking a celebration, or simply making a Thursday feel like more of an occasion — this is how you do it.

Fall in love with cheese all over again.