Whether you’re putting together a grazing board or simply looking to experiment with new flavours, pairing fruit and cheese is a great place to start.
It’s all about those complementary flavours and textures – think delicate slices of pear with punchy Stilton or buttery Brie, red grapes with rich Camembert, or ripe tomatoes with creamy mozzarella. Then fresh watermelon pairs perfectly with salty feta, grilled peaches are fantastic alongside halloumi or burrata, and crisp apples are great with a mature Cheddar.
Get creative with your next cheeseboard and check out our fruit and cheese pairing recipes below – from comforting pies and speedy pizzas to elegant salads and skewers, we’ve got plenty of easy ideas for you to try.
TABLESCAPING TOP TIP
If you want to seriously impress at your next get-together, serve up your favourite fruit and cheese pairings on Jamie’s Showstopper Stand (pictured above) from his gorgeous Big Love tableware range. By ditching the traditional board for a stand, you’ll save space on the table and add a beautiful touch of elegance.
MOZZARELLA & BURRATA
Sweet heirloom tomatoes, tangy raspberries and creamy burrata – this simple salad screams summer. Swap the burrata for buffalo mozzarella cheese or bocconcini, if you fancy. Properly easy to throw together, you’ll only need six ingredients and it’s ready in just 10 minutes.
Mozzarella and warm grapes are a joy on top of this quick homemade pizza – don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! You could also use a hard Italian cheese, like pecorino or Parmesan, or even ricotta with a hit of vanilla sugar if you fancy going down the dessert route. Give it a go – you won’t regret it!
Gorgeously fragrant ripe figs and creamy mozzarella are a great combo – then add a bit of salty Parma ham and it’s out of this world! If you don’t fancy canapés, you can transform these little bites of heaven into the most delicious salad. Creamy, sweet and salty, it’s the whole package.
HALLOUMI
Peaches are great summer fare – they’re in season from July through to September, which means they’re perfect for grilling on the barbecue. Sweet, juicy and beautifully charred, they pair perfectly with chunks of salty halloumi here. Feel free to swap in ripe apricots, if you like – they’d work a treat.
CAMEMBERT
Macerated syrupy blackberries add a sweet and sour element that really cuts through oozy, rich Camembert – it’s a match made in heaven! These macerated blackberries are also the perfect accompaniment to crumbly Lancashire and Brie – why not make up a batch for your next dinner party?
Fresh grapes and cheese are a killer combo on a grazing board, but this traybake takes them up a notch. With beautifully roasted sweet-sour grapes, torn-up Tunworth and chunks of Westcombe Cheddar, it’s a little bit posh and sure to go down a treat. Swap in Camembert if you can’t get hold of Tunworth, and any mature Cheddar would work perfectly.
FETA CHEESE
Refreshing watermelon and salty feta is such a classicduo. Topped with baby mint leaves and peppery radish rounds, this simple salad is a thing of beauty. Ready in under 20 minutes and you’ll only need 5 ingredients, so it’s perfect for rustling up on a hot summer’s day.
BLUE CHEESE
If you’re after a good blue cheese and don’t fancy Stilton, British Stichelton is out-of-this-world delicious. It's super-creamy and rich, but mellower in flavour than many other blues and melts wonderfully, so it’s perfect for a burger. Topped with a fresh apple salad, this is something special.
Punchy blue cheese works so well with delicate pear here. Oozy, unctuous and super-easy to throw together, this gnocchi dish is comfort food at its finest. Plus, it’s on the table in just 25 minutes and you’ll only need a handful of ingredients. Dinner for two, sorted.
Brie
You can’t beat good-old flavour friends, Brie and cranberry – especially at Christmas. Beautifully melty Brie is encased in crisp, golden pastry to create a super-cute edible cracker that’s dipped in a rich cranberry sauce. Paired with a juicy clementine salad, it’s a thing of joy.
These savoury Welsh cakes are the perfect vehicle for your favourite fruit and cheese pairings. We’ve gone for Brie and cranberry-spiked caramelised onion (yes, please!), and punchy Stilton and pickled apple, but feel free to get creative and make them your own!
LANCASHIRE CHEESE
Salty Lancashire cheese and sweet apples make the most outrageous pie filling. Support British cheesemakers by using Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire – it’s one of the best cheeses around for melting. If you’re after the perfect apple pairing, go for a crisp one with a hint of sweetness – think Royal Gala, Golden Russet or Cox.
COLWICK CHEESE
Colwick is a fresh cheese, similar to cream cheese in texture but more tangy, and is fantastic paired with grilled peaches. If you can’t source Colwick cheese, simply swap in torn-up mozzarella, feta, ricotta or a mild goat’s cheese – give it a go and see where you end up.
After more inspo? Check out our favourite fruity savoury salads
