Christmas Grazing Boards: How to Choose an Australian Timber Cheese Board
Christmas lunch in Australia tends to start early and finish late, and somewhere in the middle there's nearly always a board on the table: a couple of cheeses, some ham, a bowl of cherries and whatever crackers survived the drive. A good timber board makes that spread look generous with very little effort, and it comes back out every Christmas after.
Here's how to choose one, how to lay it out, and how to keep it all fresh on a hot day.
Why timber for a grazing board?
Food simply looks at home on wood. The colour and grain sit quietly behind cheese, bread and fruit, and a solid board with a cut-out handle or finger grooves is easy to carry to the table. Timber boards last, too: a well-made board can be oiled and used for years, and a thick one can even be sanded back and re-oiled to bring the surface up like new.
What size board do you need?
Measure the space you'll actually use (the middle of the table, or a fridge shelf if you build the board ahead), then think about how many people will be reaching for it.
- A cheese course or a small group: the Huon Pine Cheese or Bread Board ($105) is about 40 x 25cm, made from one solid piece of Huon Pine with a cut-out handle. Good for two or three cheeses and some crackers, and a bread board the rest of the year.
- A long, narrow cheese board: the Tubb Cheeseboard ($179) is about 41 x 15cm, slim enough to run down the middle of a table.
- A grazing board for the family table: the Blackwood & Huon Pine Presentation Board ($179, or $195 with nourishing cream) is about 45 x 25cm, with rubber feet that keep it steady and make it easy to lift.
- A crowd, or the Christmas ham: the Blackwood Extra Large Carving Board ($349, or $369 with nourishing cream) is a generous 50 x 34cm and 4cm thick. One side has a deep groove to catch juices when you carve; the flip side takes chopping or a big spread of fruit and cheese.
For a big group, two medium boards often work better than one huge one: one at each end of the table, and you can refill one while the other is still out.
Which Australian timbers suit food?
Huon Pine
Huon Pine grows naturally only in Tasmania, and extraordinarily slowly. Living trees are protected, so the Huon Pine in our boards comes from salvaged logs recovered from forest floors, rivers and valleys flooded by hydro-electric schemes. It has a fine grain, a buttery texture and a high natural oil content that helps it resist moisture (one reason it was prized for boat building), and it deepens from pale straw towards gold with age. It's softer than many dense hardwoods, so it's best for serving and light slicing rather than heavy chopping. One tip: red wine will stain Huon Pine.
Tasmanian Blackwood
Blackwood is an Australian hardwood, golden to dark brown, sometimes with reddish streaks through the grain, and most of it comes from Tasmania. Ours is sustainably grown Tasmanian Blackwood, durable enough for the heavy-duty chopping and carving the extra large board is built for. In the presentation board, its dark tones are set off by strips of pale Huon Pine.
Golden Sassafras
Golden Sassafras (not to be confused with Blackheart Sassafras) is a creamy gold colour as raw timber, and it takes on warm pink tones once it's conditioned with mineral oil and beeswax. The Golden Sassafras Endgrain Cutting Board ($295, about 30 x 45cm) is a hard-wearing chopping board that's handsome enough to bring to the table for cheese. More in our post on Golden Sassafras.
Mixed Australian timbers
The Tubb Cheeseboard is a lesson in decorative Australian timbers: contrasting strips that may include Blackwood, Tasmanian Oak, Queensland Maple, Rosewood, River Oak and Ironbark. A printed card lists each timber, which makes it a lovely gift, particularly for someone overseas. It also comes as a Gift Bundle with a She-Oak Cheese Knife ($195); the knife has a Sheffield stainless steel blade.
How to lay out a Christmas grazing board in five steps
You don't need a recipe, just a rough order of work: biggest things first, smallest last.
- Place the cheeses first. Two or three is plenty: a firm cheddar, a soft brie, perhaps a blue. Spread them out and give each its own knife. Set down any small bowls for olives or chutney now too.
- Add the meats. Fold ham, salami or prosciutto loosely next to the cheeses. Our Antipasto & Toaster Tongs ($29, in Jarrah or Marri) are slim and springy enough to peel off a single slice of salami.
- Fill the gaps with fruit. Cherries, grapes, mango cheeks, stone fruit: Christmas is the best time of year for it.
- Keep crackers at the edges, or in a basket alongside, so they stay crisp.
- Finish with small things: nuts, sprigs of rosemary or thyme, a drizzle of honey over the blue. A Red Hardwood Pâté Spreader ($15) is handy for soft cheese, pâté or butter.
Butter boards: what they are and how to make one
A butter board is exactly what it sounds like: softened butter spread over a board, topped with good things and served with warm bread. The idea comes from American chef Joshua McFadden, who published a version in his cookbook Six Seasons, and it took off online in 2022. It's quick, cheaper than a big cheese spread, and good to put out while the ham is carved.
- Soften good butter until it spreads easily.
- Swoop it across a clean, dry board with the back of a spoon. A smaller board like the Huon Pine Cheese or Bread Board is about right.
- Top with flaky salt, a little lemon zest and a few extras: honey, herbs, chilli flakes or halved cherries.
- Serve straight away with warm crusty bread.
Keep more salt on the table in a Gourmet Salt Pot ($75), which comes with its own tiny scoop. Butter is oily, so wash the board afterwards in warm water with a little detergent and dry it well. If you'd rather keep butter off the timber, lay baking paper under it.
Keeping it fresh on a hot Christmas Day
Cheese, cold meats and seafood don't love an Australian summer. Food Standards Australia New Zealand advises that perishable food out of the fridge for under 2 hours can go back in, between 2 and 4 hours should be eaten straight away, and after 4 hours should be thrown out. So build the board close to serving time, keep it out of the sun, and put out smaller amounts, topping up from the fridge.
After lunch: looking after your board
Scrape the board, then wash it by hand in warm water with a little detergent. Never use the dishwasher or leave it soaking. Dry it and stand it on its edge to air-dry before putting it away.
If the timber looks dry after a busy day, give it a coat of Wood Butter ($24), our blend of mineral oil and pure beeswax. Apply with a lint-free cloth, leave for an hour or so, then wipe off the excess and buff. There's more detail in our guide on how to clean and care for a wooden chopping board.
Look after the table as well: the Wine Bottle Coaster ($55) catches drips and condensation, and the Tasmanian Timber Coasters ($55, boxed set of four) have a heat- and alcohol-resistant lacquer.
Giving a timber board for Christmas
A board is a present that gets used every week, whether for a housewarming, a wedding or the friend who always does the cheese course. Make up a small set: a Huon Pine Cheese or Bread Board with a tin of Wood Butter and a Pâté Spreader.
- Made-to-order boards take longer. The presentation board, extra large carving board and endgrain boards are made to order and aren't available for same-day express postage or gift wrapping—please order made-to-order boards by Tuesday 8 December 2026 for pre-Christmas delivery.
- Shipping and delivery times across Australia and overseas are on our shipping and delivery page.
- Shipping: standard shipping is free on orders over $200 within Australia.
You can see all of our cheese boards and chopping boards in the shop, and read more about why Huon Pine makes a beautiful cheese and bread board.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cut cheese and meat on a serving board?
Yes. Light slicing is fine on any of our boards. Huon Pine is a softer timber, so if you want a board for heavy chopping or carving as well as serving, choose Blackwood or an endgrain board.
Will red wine stain my board?
It can stain Huon Pine, so wipe up spills quickly. Darker timbers like Blackwood hide the odd drop better.
Can I make a butter board on any wooden board?
Any clean, dry, well-oiled wooden board will do. Wash it with a little detergent afterwards and dry it well.
When do I need to order for Christmas?
For made-to-order boards (the presentation board, extra large carving board and endgrain cutting boards), please order by Tuesday 8 December 2026. For in-stock pieces and general delivery times across Australia and overseas, see our shipping and delivery page.