CROOME CHEESE
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There’s something about eating outside that makes everything taste better. The same cheese you’d eat at a kitchen table on a grey Tuesday becomes genuinely exciting when there’s sunshine involved, and someone’s just handed you a cold glass of something.
A cheeseboard is also one of the easiest bits of summer party food to pull together, and one of the most impressive. You’re not timing things, you’re not chained to the kitchen, you’re not hoping the oven doesn’t let you down. You lay it out, you step back, and you let people come to it. They always do.
We’ve supplied cheese for all kinds of summer occasions here at Croome Cheese in Worcestershire: relaxed garden get-togethers, big celebratory parties, long lazy afternoons with rosé and nowhere to be. Whatever yours looks like, here’s how to make the cheese part of it really good.
The main thing that changes outdoors is the heat. Most cheeses are absolutely fine; you just need to think a little about which ones go out when.
Harder, aged cheeses are the most forgiving. They hold their shape, they don’t suffer in the warmth, and honestly, their flavour opens up a bit as they come to temperature. These are your safe bets for a hot day and the ones to put out first.
Semi-soft cheeses are fine too, just keep them out of direct sunlight. A bit of shade makes all the difference.
Very soft, oozy cheeses need a little more thought on a scorching day. Don’t skip them; they’re often the ones people love most, but bring them out once guests have settled, keep them in the shade, and they’ll be gone before they have a chance to cause any trouble.
Blue cheeses are more robust outdoors than most people expect. They hold up well, and with a drizzle of honey and a glass of rosé alongside, they’re one of summer’s best-kept secrets.
Tell us what your day looks like, and we’ll steer you towards the right selection.
If there’s one non-negotiable on a summer board, it’s a good aged hard cheese. It travels well, it doesn’t fuss about the temperature, it works with every drink your guests might be holding, and everybody likes it. A crumbly farmhouse cheddar, something with a bit of crystalline bite, a firm and nutty variety- these are the ones that anchor the spread and that people keep returning to all afternoon. Browse our classics range and start there.
There’s something about a lighter, fresher cheese in the summer sun that just feels right. Where a big aged cheese brings depth and seriousness, a fresh or semi-soft cheese brings something easier, milky, gentle, the kind of thing that pairs beautifully with ripe fruit and feels completely at home on a warm afternoon. Our fruit fusions collection is a good place to start if this is the direction you fancy. They balance out the board, and they tend to go quickly, which is always a good sign.
A garden party in the British summer feels like a good moment to celebrate what British cheesemaking has become, and it really has become something worth celebrating. Small producers all over the country, us included here in Worcestershire, are making extraordinary cheeses that most people have never heard of, and getting them on a board at your garden party is a talking point before anyone’s even tasted them. Read more about our story if you’d like to know how we do things.
People write blue cheese off for outdoor occasions, too strong, too rich, not summer enough. We’d push back on that. A good artisan blue with a small pot of honey alongside it, and a glass of rosé in the other hand, is one of the nicest things you can eat in the sunshine. It gives the board range, it gives the cheese lovers something to get excited about, and it converts a surprising number of people who thought they didn’t like blue cheese. Leave it off at your peril.
Not complicated, but a few things make a real difference:
Find a shaded spot. This is the most important one. Direct sun is the enemy of a good cheeseboard; it speeds everything up in the wrong direction. Somewhere dappled or naturally cool keeps things in much better condition and means the board still looks good an hour into the party.
Go bigger than you think on the surface. A large wooden board or a piece of slate looks genuinely impressive outdoors. Slate is particularly good; it stays cool longer than wood, it looks brilliant in natural light, and it’s easy to wipe down. Whatever you use, give the cheeses room to breathe. A cramped board looks nervous. A generous one looks confident.
Bring things out in stages if it’s really hot. Start with the aged and harder cheeses, then bring the softer ones out as the afternoon rolls on and people find their spots in the shade. It keeps things fresh, and it gives people a reason to drift back to the board later on.
Don’t skip the resting time. Cold cheese tastes of very little. Take everything out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before it needs to be on the board, longer for harder cheeses. On a warm day outdoors, they’ll come up to temperature faster than you’d expect, so keep an eye on it.
Keep the accompaniments seasonal. Summer is not the time for heavy, wintry additions. Fresh fruit, good bread, a little honey, some pickles- light and bright is the vibe.
An aged cheddar, a semi-soft crowd-pleaser, a crumbly blue, and a British artisan wildcard that you’re quietly excited to introduce people to. Scattered with grapes, strawberries, figs, and a good sourdough torn up alongside it. This is the one that looks effortless, tastes brilliant, and disappears fastest.
For bigger garden parties, a cheeseboard can anchor an entire grazing table, the kind of spread people orbit around all afternoon rather than sitting down to eat. It’s also one of the most low-maintenance ways to feed a crowd, because once it’s out, it takes care of itself. Talk to us about quantities if you’re going down this route, and we’ll make sure you’re not caught short halfway through the afternoon.
Pick your rosé first- a dry Provençal, a good English rosé, whatever you love- and build the cheese around it. Lighter, fresher cheeses to start. Something aged and salty in the middle. A blue with honey to finish. It’s not a complicated formula, and it makes for a very good afternoon.
Mixed crowd, adults, kids, people who are into their cheese and people who absolutely aren’t? A well-put-together board handles all of it. Mild, creamy cheeses for the less adventurous. Complex, aged varieties for the people who know what they’re looking for. Loads of fruit, crackers and things to pile up. Nobody feels catered for as an afterthought, and you haven’t had to make two separate spreads.
Summer changes what works alongside cheese. Everything gets a bit fresher, a bit more colourful, a bit more of the moment. A few things we’d always reach for:
People graze more at outdoor events: smaller amounts, more often, over a longer stretch of time. In practice, this means the cheese goes a bit further than it would at a sit-down dinner, which is good news. A rough guide:
The extra in reserve matters. Garden parties have a habit of going on longer than planned, which is a good thing, but only if there’s still something on the board when the conversation is really getting going. We’ll help you get the quantities right when you order, so you’re not guessing.
You don’t need to be prescriptive; people drink what they drink, but a few pairings work particularly well alongside artisan cheese in the sunshine:
Summer events have a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re thinking vaguely about having people over. Next, it’s Thursday, and fifteen people are arriving on Saturday, and you haven’t sorted the food. We’re very used to this and very good at helping people pull things together quickly without ending up with something disappointing.
Every artisan cheese we stock is something we’d genuinely want to eat ourselves. There’s no filler, nothing that looks the part but doesn’t deliver. And we’ll talk you through it properly: your guest numbers, your setting, whether you want something safe and crowd-pleasing or something a bit more interesting, and help you put together a selection that suits the actual occasion rather than just a generic garden party.
We love summer. We love an excuse to get outside. And we really do love helping people make it better with great cheese.
Whether your party is this weekend or you’re planning something ahead, we’d love to hear about it. Shop our full cheese range or get in touch to tell us what you’re thinking, and we’ll help you get the cheese side of it exactly right.
Contact us today; the sunshine won’t wait, and neither should the cheese.
