Grazing Box Ideas: How to Build One at Home

A grazing box is a grazing board with a lid. It travels to a picnic, to Christmas drinks or to a friend's place, and it can be packed in advance. Here is how to build one at home that looks generous and survives the trip.

Choosing the box

A sturdy cardboard or timber box with a lid, about 5 to 8cm deep, is ideal. Line it with baking paper. As a guide, a 20 x 20cm box suits two people, and a 30 x 30cm box suits four to six.

What goes in a grazing box

Think in groups, and include something from each.

• Cheese. Two or three, with different textures: a soft cheese like brie, a hard cheese like aged cheddar, and a blue or a goat's cheese.
• Cured meat. Prosciutto, salami or ham, folded loosely so it takes up space.
• Crackers. Two kinds, one plain and one with flavour.
• Something sweet and fruity. Fruit paste, dried figs, grapes or berries.
• Something salty and crunchy. Nuts, olives or chips.
• A little treat. A few chocolates or a small biscuit.

How much per person

As a starter or with drinks, allow about 50 to 80g of cheese and 30 to 50g of cured meat per person. As a light meal, double it. Crackers, fruit and nuts fill the gaps.

Crackers and crunch

Mini Artisan Crackers with Sea Salt are the right size for a box. Valley Seed Crisps Quince and Almond bring fruit and crunch together. For gluten-free guests, add gluten-free crackerthins. Our guide to which cracker goes with which cheese helps you match them.

For crunch, add a handful of Nutworks macadamias or a few truffle chips.

Sweet things

Dark chocolate figs are a grazing box favourite: fruit and chocolate in one bite. A fruit paste goes well with the cheese. See quince, fig or pear fruit paste for cheese for which one to choose.

How to pack a grazing box so it travels

1. Cheese first. Put the largest items in, spaced out, so they anchor everything else.
2. Then meat. Fold or roll it into the gaps next to the cheese.
3. Then crackers. Stand them in rows so they hold each other up.
4. Then fruit, nuts and sweets to fill every remaining gap. A full box does not slide around.
5. Keep wet things contained. Olives, dips and fruit paste go in small pots or on a square of baking paper, so the crackers stay crisp.

Grazing box ideas

• Christmas for two. A small box with a soft cheese, a little ham, crackers and cherries. Our Christmas grazing box for two shows one way to do it.
• Office Christmas party. Scale it up onto a board. Our office Christmas grazing board for twenty has the quantities.
• Vegetarian. Leave out the meat and add marinated vegetables, dips and extra cheese. See our vegetarian Christmas grazing board.
• Picnic. Firmer cheeses and sturdy crackers travel best in the heat.

Keeping it fresh

Pack the box no more than a few hours before you need it, and keep it in the fridge until you leave. Take the cheese out about 30 minutes before eating so it softens. In summer, carry it in a cooler bag with an ice brick, and do not leave it sitting in the sun. Our guide to how long Christmas food can sit out has the safe times.

A grazing box someone else packed

For a gift, a cheeseboard hamper does most of the work. Try the Gourmet Cheeseboard Hamper, the Artisan Cheeseboard Hamper or the Christmas Nibbles Hamper. For a bigger spread, see our Christmas grazing table guide.