Cheese Stack

Creating a stunning cheese stack for a wedding cake using cheese wheels is a fantastic idea! Many artisan cheesemakers in New Zealand produce cheeses in wheel form, perfect for this purpose. Here’s how you can choose cheeses for your cheese stack wedding cake.

Selecting Cheese Wheels

Include crowd-pleasers like Brie/Camembert, Cheddar, Stilton, Manchego, or a local favorite. 3–5 tiers of different cheeses give a nice look and flavor variety. For balance and variety, aim for a mix of textures, flavors, and wheel sizes (e.g., hard, soft, blue; cow, goat, sheep):

  1. Base Layer (Large Wheel, Firm Cheese)
    1. Barry’s Bay Vintage Gouda (Canterbury): Nutty, firm, and a great sturdy base.
    2. Kapiti Aged Cheddar: Sharp and robust, available in larger wheels.
    3. Whitestone Aged Totara Tasty: Aged cheddar with a rich, nutty flavor.
  2. Second Layer (Medium Wheel, Soft or Semi-Soft Cheese)
    1. Whitestone Windsor Blue: Creamy with a mild blue bite; available in wheels.
    2. Kapiti Kikorangi Blue: A creamy, triple cream blue cheese wheel.
    3. Over the Moon Galactic Gold: Washed-rind cheese with a semi-soft texture.
  3. Third Layer (Small Wheel, Soft Cheese)
    1. Whitestone Brie: Creamy and mild, available in various sizes.
    2. Puhoi Valley Camembert: Soft and creamy with a white rind.
    3. Over the Moon Black Truffle Brie: Luxurious and flavorful.
  4. Top Layer (Mini Wheel or Decorative Cheese)
    1. Clevedon Buffalo Cheese: Fresh and mild mozzarella balls or small wheels.
    2. Over the Moon Goat’s Cheese: Tangy and soft, often available in small rounds.
    3. Whitestone Farmhouse: A small, rustic-style cheddar.


Tips for Sourcing Cheese Wheels

  • Local Cheesemongers: visit Sabato, Farro Fresh, or The Cheese Shop for wheels.
  • Order from Over the Moon Dairy, Whitestone Cheese, or Kapiti for full-sized cheese wheels.
  • Custom Orders: Many cheesemakers can produce specific wheel sizes if you order in advance.
  • Size Variations: For a tiered effect, request wheels of varying diameters (e.g., 30 cm, 20 cm, 10 cm).


    • Decorating the Cheese Stack

  • Fruits: Grapes, figs, or dried apricots.
  • Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
  • Flowers: Edible flowers for a wedding-appropriate touch.
  • Accompaniments: Include crackers, chutneys, and honey nearby.


    • Cheese Stack Portion Guidelines

    The portion size of cheese for a wedding cheese stack (cheese tower) depends on how you’re serving it and whether it’s the main food or part of a larger spread like a grazing table or evening buffet. Here’s a quick guide to help you estimate:

  • If served as part of a cheese course / evening buffet – 70–100g per person (2.5–3.5 oz)
  • If cheese is a main feature / centerpiece – 100–150g per person (3.5–5.3 oz)


    • Example Calculation for 100 guests:

  • Light portion: 100 x 80g = 8kg total cheese
  • Generous portion: 100 x 125g = 12.5kg total cheese


    • Made-to-order

    Some cheesemakers can produce cheeses made to order (if enquired early, as some cheeses need months or years to ripe). Some of the sizes that can be produced:

    CHEESE TOWER
    Size Height Across the top Weight PRICE
    XL 11-12cm 23-24cm 5-6Kg $360
    L 7-8cm 18-19cm 2-2.5Kg $150
    M 7-8cm 15-16cm 1.2Kg $90
    S 7-8cm 12-13cm 0.8Kg $70
    XS 3-4cm 12-13cm 0.4Kg $50

    Some of our cheeses are only available in certain sizes, please enquire for further information.
    Note: the XL size we can cut in half length ways to reduce the size and weight.

    Bries
    ITEM WEIGHT PRICE
  • Brie, Whitestone Mt Domet Double Cream
    • A white, moulded double cream brie with lovely gooey centre when ripe—very moreish!
    		 2Kg $220
  • Brie, Whitestone Lindis Pass French Style
    • A French style gooey brie made in New Zealand; it is tangy strong flavoured with an earthy white mould.
    		 2Kg $220
  • Brie, Evansdale Farmhouse.
    • Rind with white mould and a hint of wild mushrooms. With smooth, even inner flavour.
    		 1.4Kg $180
  • Brie, Evansdale Smoked Farmhouse
    • Evansdale Farmhouse which has been naturally smoked with mānuka smoke, giving it a subtle smoky flavour.
    		 1.4Kg $180
  • Brie, Over The Moon OMG Triple Cream
    • A soft, rich brie with extra cream added; a lovely mushroomy and buttery flavour.
    		 1Kg $190
  • Brie, Over The Moon Black Truffle
    • With deliciously silky texture and layer of truffle, giving a subtle earthy flavour.
    		 1Kg $230
    Goudas
    ITEM WEIGHT PRICE
  • Gouda, Baby
    • Meyer Baby Goudas are ideal for the Christmas table or as a gift.
    		 0.9Kg $70
  • Gouda, Meyer Fenugreek Core
    • Mild creamy gouda with hints of fenugreek
    		 0.9Kg $70
  • Gouda, Meyer Cumin Core
    • Mild creamy gouda with liberal sprinkling of cumin
    		 0.9Kg $70
  • Gouda, Meyer Mild Core
    • Up to three months old, a mild and creamy gouda with savoury flavour.
    		 0.9Kg $70
  • Gouda, Meyer Tasty Core
    • Up to one year old; tasty with a bite but still soft and creamy.
    		 0.9Kg $70
  • Gouda, Meyer Vintage Core
    • Two to three years old, crumbly with sensational crunch, a sharp nutty flavour. A taste sensation!
    		 0.9Kg $75
  • Gouda, Meyer Vintage Cumin Core
    • Aged gouda with cumin
    		 0.9Kg $75
  • Gouda, Meyer Smoked Core
    • Gold medal winning creamy gouda with subtle mānuka smoke.
    		 0.9Kg $75
  • Gouda, Mahoe Very Old
    • Delicous vintage gouda aged 3 years, nutty with excellent flavour. New Zealand Cheese Awards Supreme Award overall winner 2015.
    		 0.9Kg 100
  • Gouda, Meyer Goat
    • Sweet, mild and creamy, this goat gouda is very moreish.
    		 0.9Kg $105
  • Gouda, Meyer Smoked Goat
    • Goat gouda smoked with mānuka smoke, delicous, gold medal winner!
    		 0.9Kg $105
  • Gouda, Dutch Truffle
    • Creamy and mild with aromatic black truffles; this gouda is extremely good … made in the Netherlands.
    		 0.9Kg $170
    The baby is shorter and wider and has a full rind. The core is a cut out of the middle of a big wheel so it is taller and not as wide and only has rind on the top and bottom.
    Havarti
    ITEM WEIGHT PRICE
  • Havarty, Creamy (orange wax)
    • Havarti has a mild flavor similar to a Monterey Jack. Slightly acidic, the taste is buttery and sweet.
    		 2Kg $180
    Cheddars
    ITEM WEIGHT PRICE
  • Cheddar, Talbot Forest Aged
    • A well flavoured two year old vintage reserve cheddar, made from cows milk.
    		 1Kg $80
  • Cheddar, Aged (black wax)
    • A fantastic intensely flavoured two year old vintage reserve cheddar, made from cows milk—seriously good!
    		 2Kg $180
    Pecorino
    ITEM WEIGHT PRICE
  • Pecorino, Italian Black Truffle
    • Aged sheep’s milk Pecorino, liberally laced with black truffles, giving a strong aromatic and exciting cheese.
    		 1Kg $270
  • Pecorino, Gibbston Valley New Balfour
    • Made from ewes milk, sweet and tangy, an aged pecorino, very delicous.
    		 2.5Kg $280
    Most other Pecorino come only in much larger wheels 5Kg and 10Kg, so smaller amounts would be wedges.
    Blues
    ITEM WEIGHT PRICE
  • Blue, Kikorangi Creamy Half
    • Creamy and pungent, totally delicious!
    		 0.5Kg $80
  • Blue, Whitestone Windsor
    • A glorious rich, sweet flavoured double cream blue similar to Gorgonzola.
    		 0.5Kg $80
  • Blue, Kikorangi Creamy Whole
    • Creamy and pungent, totally delicious!
    		 1.1Kg $160
  • Blue, Mahoe
    • Creamy yet firm, flavoursome and tangy, cut fresh, very delicious.
    		 1Kg $180
  • Blue, Over The Moon OTM Creamy
    • Smooth, rich and very creamy.
    		 1Kg $200
  • Blue, Whitestone Windsor Vintage
    • Slightly sharper and slightly more buttery, extremely delicious and addictive!
    		 2Kg $200
  • Blue, Roquefort Fresh Raw Milk
    • Made in France from raw ewes milk and well aged, this is a strong tangy blue cheese.
    		 1.3Kg $270

    If you have any special requests or are looking for a specific cheese lot, we’re happy to contact our network of suppliers to check availability.

    All cheese stacks include seasonal edible flower decorations, a variety of dips and crackers, as well as fresh and dried fruits and a selection of nuts.

    Please note that all prices are indicative and may vary depending on the size of the delivered item. Most of the cheeses are handmade, so weights and sizes can naturally vary. Final pricing will be confirmed once the cheeses are in hand.

    Allergen and Dietary Information: Despite careful preparation, products may contain traces of substances that are listed as allergenic.
    Al = Almond, Ba = Barley, Br = Brazil Nut, Ca = Cashew,   
    Ce = Celery, Cr = Crustacean,    Eg = Egg, Fi = Fish,
    Ha = Hazelnut, Lu = Lupin, Ma = Macadamia, Mi = Milk,
    Mo = Mollusc, Mu = Mustard, Oa = Oat, Pea = Peanut,
    Pec = Pecan, Pin = Pine Nut, Pis = Pistachio, Ry = Rye,
    Se = Sesame, So = Soy, Sh = Sulphite, Vg = Vegan,
    Vt = Vegetarian,    Wa = Walnut, Wh = Wheat/Gluten.   

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