Organised by the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA), October is always NZ Cheese Month as it shines a light on the country’s exceptional cheese industry.
October marks the spring flush, a crucial time for cheesemakers, marked by the abundance of premium milk as dairy animals graze on lush spring pasture. Fresh and soft cheeses in particular benefit from the creamy richness of cow, sheep, goat, buffalo and deer milk during this season.
NZSCA Chair Simon Lamb says “Buying cheese made in Aotearoa puts money in the pockets of our farmers and New Zealand businesses, often within small, regional centres.
“Additionally, when you purchase a locally made product it’s a guarantee that it’s fresh and – in many instances – they get to meet local cheese makers in speciality retailers and at farmers markets
“Supporting NZ Cheese is more important than ever,” he says. “Like so many of small businesses, artisan cheese makers are impacted by rising costs and over the past two years several small makers have been forced to close their doors.”
So what makes a great NZ Cheese platter for your menu?
Build The Base
The type and size of board used for the presentation of cheese and charcuterie really shows how aesthetically pleasing it is, and the number of persons the platter would serve. Use whole pieces of wood and lighter varieties like beech if possible as its light colour allows you to showcase the charcuterie and cheese.
Bunch individual ingredients together – they appear more luscious and tempting.
Put small dishes and bowls on the board or platter, then arrange the cheeses. Think about how grouping flavours to match the cheeses, e.g place the Piccalilli alongside the aged Gouda.
Choose a board or platter that will hold a good selection of ingredients. Think about the number of people sharing your cheeseboard to gauge size.
Give texture to the board before placing ingredients – Perhaps scattered fig leaves or grapevine leaves, when in season.
Use small bowls or dishes to hold ingredients where there is liquid involved, such as olives in olive oil, chutneys or relishes.
Variety
Embrace variety. You don’t have to worry about cheeses going together unless you’re going for a theme. Go with a variety of ages, textures, appearances, milk types. Give your diners options, and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box – include sharp and tangy aged cheddar, silken soft Camembert, creamy Blue Vein, smooth and buttery Havarti and even whipped feta.
How many?
Generally three types of cheese will be more widely accepted by most diners, using the three meats, three cheeses, three breads or crackers, and three accompaniments rule, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.
Cheesemongers
Cheesemongers don’t bite. Cheesemongers are the most passionate and engaging food workers around. They live to give advice and cut samples. Even if you have no idea about cheese, they can help!
Labels
Try to keep the cheese packages and labels. You’ll have guests that discover a new cheese they love. Having the label/packaging handy is helpful to them if they want to order or purchase the cheese in the future.
Choose Your Meats
Incorporate a mixture of ham, saucisson and smoked meats for variety. Parma and Iberico ham work well as they are widely available, are tasty and complement other cured meats. Most charcuterie platters bear an overarching salty profile, and are rich in flavours. Hence, if any other flavours are to be added, it would need to be something mildly sweet or refreshing. A sweet jam or onion chutney would provide sweetness that could pair well. Fruits like pears and rock melon, could serve as a refreshing option.
Specialist Cheese Stores
Recognising the value of meeting cheese makers and how they can help educate consumers about the variety and flavour of NZ cheese drove a decision by the NZSCA to revise its endorsement for NZ cheese stores.
This year’s NZ Specialist Cheese Store programme has brought cheese makers together with a range of stores spread across the length and breadth of Aotearoa including in small regional centres. Many of these stores are run by cheese makers.
The 20 NZ Specialist Cheese Stores are listed from the bottom (south) to the top (north) of New Zealand: Gibbston Valley Cheese (online sales only) Arrowtown; Whitestone Deli & Diner, Oamaru; Geraldine Cheese, Geraldine; Karikaas, Loburn, North Canterbury; Charing Cross Cheesery, Christchurch; Barrys Bay Cheese, Akaroa; The Cranky Pantry, Blenheim; ViaVio Cheese, Nelson; The Junction Cheese Shop, Nelson; Moore Wilson’s, Wellington; C’est Cheese, Featherston; Hohepa Clive, Hawke’s Bay; Kapiti Cheese Eltham, Taranaki; Te Puna Deli, Tauranga; The Cheese Barn, Matatoki, Thames; Over the Moon, Putaruru, Waikato; Sabato, Auckland; The Artisan Hub Hobsonville, Auckland; Origin Northland, Waipu and Mahoe Cheese, Kerikeri.
Inspiration
If you are seeking more inspiration to use NZ cheese over the upcoming months NZSCA has created ‘Entertaining with NZ Cheese’ a guide featuring cheese recipes and tips for wowing guests by creating the perfect NZ Cheese Platter over the summer. A digital version is here.
All the recipes and cheese serving inspiration will be available for everyone to enjoy with the dishes and the platter added to the consumer Cheese Lovers NZ website. What’s more, everyone who visits the website is invited to go into the draw to win boutique NZ cheese deliveries to their door from The Cheese Wheel.
NZ Cheese Fest
Cheese lovers are invited to attend the NZ Cheese Fest on Saturday 5 October at Clos Henri in Blenheim. Cheese from 14 of the country’s finest boutique cheesemakers will be available for people to picnic on the lawn. The day includes workshops, tasting sessions, a cooking masterclass and entertainment.
Amateur cheesemakers have a chance to showcase their skills and have their homemade cheese assessed by NZ Champions of Cheese Awards Master Judge Jason Tarrant during NZ Cheese Month. Entries will be judged in Auckland on Thursday 17 October. Details are here.
