We are all familiar with the traditional wedding cake but there is a new trend taking over and it’s got cheese lovers extremely excited.
The custom bespoke cheese tower is now taking over as the alternative cake for weddings, birthdays & anniversaries. See our handy steps below to create the ideal cheese tower.
DESIGNING THE PERFECT TOWER
Colour palette. Always try to co-ordinate the ‘theme’ of the wedding, for example, if your colour palette consists of shades of pink, ivory and white try to incorporate these colours in your cheese selections. Cheeses washed in red wine often offer tones of purple and softer tones of red, blending these with classic tiers of Brie or Triple cream styles can create a softer, traditional look.
Terroir or a ‘sense of place’. Creating synergy between a wedding venue or location with the origin or character of cheese can also create a unique design. If your wedding takes place at a winery, choosing cheeses which are from the region or even match the wines on offer, help create the perfect balance. Cheese such as Queso Valdeon from Lyon, Spain is wrapped in sycamore leaves as a traditional way of preserving and transporting the cheeses as they make the long journey down the mountains to the villages below. Cheeses like these, when displayed in wineries really help to create a relationship between the vines and the cake.
Likes & Dislikes. Let’s not forget it is YOUR big day, so select cheeses that you enjoy, although opting for strong, robust, spicy tiers could turn some guests away, but hey…more cheese for you.
Variety. A cheese with variety is always going to tick everyone’s palate. Incorporating different milk styles can accommodate certain dietaries as well as offer a greater depth of flavour. Cheeses from different countries also add a flare of decadency to those who aren’t custom to tasting Espresso rubbed cheeses from America or Truffle infused white-moulds from France.
Size. Let’s face it, we all love the idea of endless amounts of cheese in our fridge, however over-catering when constructing your cheese-tower seems to be the biggest mistake we see as well as a costly one to make. Using an average gram per person, roughly 50g-90g, will aid in understanding how much cheese you really need. If cheese is the only dessert on offer try using 90g per person as your equation, however if there are other options and sweet treats on offer work towards 70g per person as a guide. For example if you have 100 guests attending and have other desserts, your overall cheese tower would need to be around 7kg. This balances out any discrepancies with those who don’t eat the cheese, with those who do.
Accompaniments. Now you have your cheese tower design complete, selecting what to serve it with is the next step. We advise less is more. Playing off dominant flavours or contrasting sweet & salty can determine whether or not you offer produce such as honey that works wonders with the saltiness of blue cheese or Quince paste which is typically eaten with firmer cheeses to smoothen the texture as well as sweeten the sharpness. Offering crackers with little flavouring can act as a palate cleanser between different cheeses as well as adds a crunchy texture towards softer cheeses.
Looking for the perfect tower?
Contact us for our range of pre-designed cheese towers