It’s no secret that we love slate serving boards for cheese. They’re beautiful, durable, and easy to clean. Plus, you can label each cheese right on the board with elegant soapstone chalk. Here’s what to look for when shopping for slate serving boards, including our favorite set for gifting or adding to your own cheese board arsenal.

Why We Love Serving Cheese on Slate

Humans have used slate as everything from building material to servingware for thousands of years. This natural material is sustainable throughout its life cycle and the slate used for culinary purposes is non-porous, so you can feel good about using it in your kitchen.

We love slate because its textured surface and dark, dramatic appearance make the cheeses we serve stand out beautifully. Whether you style a slate cheese board with bright, cheerful pastels or lush jewel tones, it’ll make everything you serve look even more delicious.

The Benefits of Slate Serving Boards

Slate is functional, attractive, and sustainable—but those aren’t the only reasons it’s our cheese board material of choice.

Slate’s natural properties mean each board is unique.

Slate is a metamorphic rock that’s composed of lots of thin layers, making it ideal for sturdy, flat surfaces like plates, tiles, and roof shingles. Because of the way slate behaves when those layers are split and carved, each piece bears unique markings that give it a rustic texture. When you purchase a slate cheese board from a reputable artisan, you can be assured that each piece is one of a kind.

Slate serving boards are easy to clean and maintain.

Just like ceramic or glass, slate is breakable when smashed or dropped on a hard surface—but it’s more durable than you think as long as you handle it with care. Pro tip: Avoid storing them in high shelves or cabinets, where they’re more likely to suffer a mishap.

Slate is also easy to clean. Simply wash with hot water and mild dish soap. You can even put some slate serving boards in the dishwasher to minimize cleanup. Season your slate cheese boards a few times a year with food-grade mineral oil to keep them looking lustrous and keep them from absorbing liquids and odors from food.

Slate makes it easy to label cheese with soapstone chalk right on the board.

One of our favorite things about slate is that it makes labeling cheese boards easy and elegant. Each of the slate boards and black cheese boards we sell includes a beautiful piece of soapstone chalk you can use to label cheeses and accompaniments right on the board.

We use soapstone chalk instead of schoolroom chalk because it’s dust-free and lasts longer. Plus, a piece of this beautiful, moon-colored mineral looks great next to your one-of-a-kind slate cheese board.

The Best Slate Cheese Boards

The best slate serving boards for cheese are high-quality, with a rustic, unique texture. They’re easy to clean and care for, and they make every cheese you serve look gorgeous against that dramatic black backdrop.

Obviously we’re a little biased, but we love our Circular Serving Slate Set. Each beautiful round slate board is made by Brooklyn Slate and comes pre-seasoned with food-grade mineral oil. It’s gorgeous, durable, and dishwasher safe, too!

We love to pair this gorgeous slate board with our hand-carved bamboo knives, which won’t scratch or damage the surface, and luscious cheeses and accompaniments from American artisan makers. It’s the perfect way to make your next cheese plate really pop.

What are your favorite cheeses to serve on slate? Tag us @cheesegrotto on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and let us know!