A slate board from Brooklyn Slate Co. makes a stunning platform for a spread of cheeses. With a textured surface and ragged edges, the rustic slate ($25 to $32 for 10 by 14 inches, about $33 for 5 by 18 inches) is appealing. Designers Kristy Hadeka and Sean Tice started the business three years ago. Each distinctive piece of stone is sourced from the upstate New York quarry Hadeka's family has owned for three generations, hand-ground at the quarry, and finished by hand in the couple's Brooklyn workshop. Boards come wrapped in twine, with a burlap storage bag, and a piece of soapstone chalk for labeling. Your guests won't confuse brie with Camembert or Gorgonzola with Roquefort. Available at American Provisions, 613 East Broadway, South Boston, 617-269-6100; Formaggio Kitchen, 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-4750; Boston Cheese Cellar, 18 Birch St., Roslindale, 617-325-2500, Wasik's Cheese Shop, 61 Central St., Wellesley, 781-237-0916, or go to www.brooklynslate.com.