If 2017 saw one food trend explode in a big way, it was platters.
Weddings, parties and events the world over witnessed an upsurge in people seeking metres of delectable and beautiful food piled high – and now the trend has extended to the festive season too.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, platter whizz kid and New South Wales mother, Hannah Lange, spoke to FEMAIL about how you can whip up your very own Christmas platter from home.
Her top tips? Pick a festive colour scheme, try edible flowers and remember that cheese is key for a delicious and indulgent grazing table.
Wanting to create a festive grazing table for your family and friends this Christmas? Why not try a festive platter (pictured)
Hannah Lange (pictured with her child) runs Picnics by Hannah in the Blue Mountains – she shared her tips for the ultimate festive platter
According to Hannah, the first thing you need to think about when arranging a platter is a colour scheme – reds, greens and whites work well for Christmas
‘Platters can work super well as a great snack or starter while your guests wait for lunch to be served,’ Hannah told FEMAIL
For the brains behind Picnics by Hannah, platters can make a great addition or substitution for turkey for you and your family over Christmas:
‘Platters make for a great alternative to a hot Christmas lunch,’ she told FEMAIL. ‘They can also work super well as a great snack or starter while your guests wait for lunch to be served.’
The 27-year-old from New South Wales recommends you start by having a thorough plan:
‘Pick a colour scheme first and tailor things around that,’ she said. ‘For Christmas, red white and green-toned produce works really well.
‘In the reds section, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, stuffed sweet peppers, dried cranberries, pomegranates, dragon fruits, tomatoes, capsicum dip and tomato relish work well,’ she explained.
‘For greens, use rocket or baby spinach for the base of the platter, rosemary as a garnish, kiwi fruit, pistachios, pesto dip and olives.
‘Then, for white, try white chocolate, houmous, nougat, mini meringues and cashews.’
Once you’ve picked your colour scheme, Hannah said it’s all about figuring out which cheese you want to use – she said ‘cheese is everything’ (pictured: her platters)
Hannah had the idea for a bespoke platter service after her own picnic-style wedding in 2014 (pictured)
As well as cheese, Hannah said platters are all about accessories – she recommends shopping around for the ingredients, whether it’s supermarkets, farmers’ markets or local shops
Once you’ve picked your colour scheme, Hannah said it’s all about figuring out which cheese you want to use:
‘Cheese is everything,’ she explained.
‘You want to choose a good variety with a soft cheese, hard cheese and both mild and strong flavours. Three or four options is perfect,’ she added – confessing that a creamy rind cheese such as brie or camembert is always a ‘crowd pleaser’.
‘For hard cheeses, you can’t go wrong with an aged cheddar or smoked cheddar,’ she added.
Finally, add blue cheese and if there are kids around ‘you might want to include a sweet, fruity cream cheese’.
Then, it’s time to add the accessories.
Next, think about what works with cheese – Dried fruit, cured meats, figs, dips, relishes, grapes and honey work well together,’ Hannah explained
The 27-year-old (pictured) also swears by fresh garnishes for the finishing touches – ‘fresh edible flowers look amazing,’ she said
Hannah now runs a business which delivers delicious platters and hampers to people in the Blue Mountains to enjoy with a view (pictured)
For Hannah, next you need to think about ‘flavours that pair well with cheese’:
‘Dried fruit, cured meats, figs, dips, relishes, grapes and honey work well together,’ she told FEMAIL.
The 27-year-old also swears by fresh garnishes for the finishing touches – ‘fresh edible flowers look amazing,’ she said.
‘Fresh red roses from your garden can also work to decorate, or you can get right on in to the festive spirit with pine cones or candy canes.’
She creates and decorates everything herself – confessing it can be a workout (pictured)
When it comes to platter tricks, Hannah said you need to separate dry ingredients from wet ingredients to keep things from going soggy (pictured: festive platters)
Last but not least, Hannah shared the tips and tricks she adopts when creating her platters:
‘Keep your dry ingredients separate from wet ingredients to avoid sogginess,’ she said.
‘Take everything you purchase out of the packaging and garnish, garnish, garnish!’.
If you’re feeling super confident, the platter genius recommends going for a ‘full-blown grazing table with fresh seafood or other traditional Christmas foods’.
But, she said, you need to make sure it’s in a cool spot near air conditioning to ensure things don’t melt.
If you’re feeling super confident, the platter genius recommends going for a ‘full-blown grazing table with fresh seafood or other traditional Christmas foods,’ she said
‘I’ve always been obsessed with food, and especially cheese,’ the 27-year-old previously told Daily Mail Australia of her idea
‘I wanted to use my creativity, love for food, travel and wine and turn it into something special for others to enjoy’ (pictured: one of her platters)
Hannah stumbled upon her business idea for Picnics by Hannah in 2014, when she had her own picnic-style wedding.
Now, she spends her days crafting photogenic feasts for couples in the Blue Mountains to enjoy.
‘I’ve always been obsessed with food, and especially cheese,’ the 27-year-old previously told Daily Mail Australia.
‘And then, I had a picnic-style wedding for my own nuptials in 2014. The business idea kind of just came about, like one of those moments in the shower.
‘I wanted to use my creativity, love for food, travel and wine and turn it into something special for others to enjoy.’
To follow Picnics by Hannah on Instagram, please click here. Alternatively, you can get in touch with her and plan your own picnic here.