It’s no secret that I love a well presented dish, it’s in the job description after all. And this one, well, this is one good-looking board of goodness isn’t it? Charcuterie boards seem to be appearing everywhere I scroll right now, and it’s no wonder, they’re such a great one for entertaining because they make your table look Pinterest perfect, without you needing to spend hours over a hot stove in this soon-to-be-summer weather.

1: Mix the flavours up. Scatter some berries in there for sweetness, whilst bitter leaves like chicory are perfect for scooping hummus, and segments of satsumas add freshness.

2: Eat the Rainbow. Look out for colourful variations of your favourite fruit and veggies, such as yellow or orange tomatoes, purple carrots or yellow beetroots. There’s lots to choose from that will make your board look more vibrant, varied and impressive.

3: Dress it up. Pack in even more goodness by using veg to make dips and dressings. Perfect for dunking crackers, this tasty salsa verde will use up your leftover herbs https://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/recipes/spanish-chicken-burger-with-salsa-verde

Or roast some peppers to make this vibrant hummus dip. https://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/lamb-recipes/baharat-lamb-kebabs-with-red-pepper-hummus

4: Combine the raw with the cooked. Quickly char some Padron peppers in a frying pan and top with flakey sea salt, they’ll work to add different textures to your board accompanied with your raw veggies and fruit. Or how about making a quick pickle with some red onions? https://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/recipes/achiote-fish-rice-pickled-onions

5: Try something new. We’re all about eating seasonal, and these boards tend to look super impressive when they include those less well known veggies. Scour your local shops and you might come across something new to try like Romanesco or candy beetroots, and don’t forget to check the jars aisle for delicious addictions like honeycomb or olive tapenades.

6: Get creative with chopping. Chopping one ingredient in a few different ways will help add some visual variety to your board whilst keeping the shopping list short. I love using a peeler to make cucumber ribbons as well as chopping them into batons and my much loved mandolin gives me thinly sliced radishes to go alongside some that I keep whole for dunking.

7: Fill those gaps. The trick with a vibrant, generous and picture perfect charcuterie board is to keep any gaps hidden, use smaller items like raisins, nuts or grapes to fill in any space between ingredients.

8: Snap a pic. Grab a chair and get some height between you and your board, it’s best to put it in the middle of a table or surface and take a few shots before anyone pinches any of your perfectly laid out ingredients. Once you’ve taken a few shots, have a look at them and adjust any ingredients that look out of place. It’s all trial and error! Once you’ve got your perfect pic, we’d love to see it- tag us on social @goustocooking