It may potentially be the result of a burgeoning fixation with Instagram, but cheese boards have changed. No longer can a simple block of cheddar be thrown onto a plate with a hunk of quince paste. Instead, the day of the extravagant antipasto platter has well and truly dawned.

But creating your own impressive centrepiece of dairy isn’t as hard as it may seem, so say platter experts Elise Loprete and Sarah Mae Sawtell of The Poor Girls Pantry. The Byron Bay-based duo is behind the wedding-friendly cheese creations that have flooded many an Instagram feed, including the recent one they created for the relaunch of Taylors Wines ‘The Promised Lands’ range.

We’re still beaming about our time in Sydney working with @taylorswines! We are so beyond stoked with what we achieved on this night! We can’t wait to show you all of the images and footage. Stay tuned for a blog post very soon! @esteban_latessa_photographer @mrcooktheflorist #promisedland #collab

A post shared by Elise & Sarah Mae (@the.poor.girls.pantry) on Nov 2, 2017 at 1:46am PDT

But thankfully they do have steps to creating the perfect extravagant platter for those who prefer concrete rules. They are as follows: 1. Always start with a base. This will sculpt your platter, and give you rough guidance of where to place different elements. 2. Place the bulkier items such as cheese, grapes and crackers throughout the area. Scatter them so you can see the flow in which the platter is developing. 3. Begin to scatter the dips throughout the cheese, crackers and grapes. 4. Flow the rest of the produce throughout your display. We love using dark chocolate, fresh fruit, antipasto goods and nuts. Of course, as their Instagram handle states, you don’t need an opulent amount of cash to splash on cheese. The girls believe that key to creating on a tight budget is avoiding excess. “Firstly, don’t over-order. Figure out how big your platter will be and envision where everything will go. This helps you buy the right amount of food and stay within budget,” they say. Shopping seasonally helps. “Produce will be at its cheapest when they’re in season. While we love filling our platters with figs and cherries, we have to improvise when they’re not in season.” And finally, take note of specials. “Look for what’s on special and be smart with your dollar, even if it means going to a few different places to scout for the best deal,” explain the platter creators. “There are some amazing cheeses for under $10 that guests will absolutely love!”

Our modest platter For enquiries and orders follow the link in our bio For @tjswim_ @lucianarose

A post shared by Elise & Sarah Mae (@the.poor.girls.pantry) on Sep 12, 2017 at 5:38pm PDT

But that’s not forgetting what is another key to an unforgettable platter. The accompanying wine. “We think that the wine choice is crucial,” said Sarah Mae and Elise. “If it’s a hot, summers day, go for a lighter and fruitier wine and for those colder occasions, a warming red wine will really compliment your platter.”