How to build the perfect picnic charcuterie pack

Melbourne has been doing a lot of picnicking this Spring. Even though we can have people over again now, when the sun is shining and there's no pesky rain on the forecast, we are still loving to picnic it up in the park with our friends. No picnic is complete without snacks, and what better than a delicious free range charcuterie platter? These are our top picks when we're putting our charcuterie boards together - and with Christmas just around the corner, you could even use this as a practice run for your festive nibbles!

1. Meat: Start out with your favourite sliced meats. We love ham, salami and kabana for this.
2. Crackers or bread: Grab a pack of your favourite crackers or a freshly baked baguette.
3. Cheese: absolutely essential! Try one of our delicious How Now cheeses - we think the Night Walker (think soft and gooey like a brie) or Galactic (soft and delicate, a great picnic cheese) would be awesome for this.
4. Pate, rillettes or terrine: We may not be able to travel the world right now, but that’s not the only way to go to Paris, right?? We love our City Larder range for picnicking, or our absolutely gorgeous Offaly Good Pate for our dairy free friends.
5. Cornichons: these are optional but are a classic addition to your charcuterie pack, especially if you go for a pate. So good together!
6. Condiments - onion jam, quince paste, fig jam, or even a dip like hummus. If your cheese is a brie or similar creamy option, we highly recommend going for an onion jam. This combo simply cannot be beaten.
7. Cut up fruit and veggies - apples, strawberries, carrots, cucumber, celery, figs. A great, fresh and light compliment to the meat and cheese.
8. Optional: a nice picnic wine. We love the Rob Dolan rose for this! It’s crispy, bubbly and not too sweet. So good for picnicking in the sunshine.