The Art of the Snack Plate, According to a Broadsheet Food and Drink Editor

Not to brag, but I won the “best lunch” category at Broadsheet’s end-of-year party last year. You might assume, with me being a food and drink editor, that something fancy earned me this honour – an enviable cheffy sandwich on thick-cut bread, maybe, or a booking at a hot new restaurant. But actually, it’s the opposite: my dedication to the simple snack plate scored me that crown.

I’m sure you know the vibe: a collection of tasty, low-fuss bits and pieces, all piled onto a plate. They’re seen across the planet – Scandi brekkie plates, ploughman’s platters and bento boxes. And, proving the format’s not siloed to any one mealtime, they’ve been known as “girl dinner” too. These snacky plates impress because they’re beautiful, they have range and they’re tasty. But they are my dependable go-to because they couldn’t be simpler – you just need to know the tricks.

In my (professional) opinion, a snack plate is perfected if you concentrate on four areas: the prep, the crunch (very important), the mix and the wild card. I have it down to an art. Now, armed with Deli Style Crackers by Red Rock Deli, I’m sharing everything you need to know to nail it too – for lunch, dinner and beyond.

The prep

Snack plates are only easy if you make them so! You need to be prepared – which means a stocked kitchen.

Fill that fridge with jars of briny olives, bread and butter pickles, strips of sundried tomatoes and marinated artichokes. Grab something with zing: kimchi, sauerkraut or pickled daikon. Then your favourite dip: hummus, baba ganoush or tzatziki. Boil six eggs on a Sunday night, so they’re ready to peel and eat any day you snack-plate. Cheese? Cheese! Have a full-flavoured cheddar ready to slice and something milder (cherry bocconcini or a herby ricotta, perhaps).

The crisper is your workhorse: you’ll need fresh slices of cucumber, carrot and capsicum. Cherry tomatoes and berries are my non-negotiables when they’re in season. In your fruit bowl? Apples and citrus, all winter.

Then, the cupboards. Roasted almonds and an array of dried fruit, plus tins of tuna, sardines or anchovies. Then, crackers. Choose wisely, as the style you land on can determine how memorable your snack-plating is. You want a sturdy base for dipping or topping, and a flavour that holds on its own. A nice golden colour and baked (not fried) are pluses for me. That criteria makes a strong case for the Deli Style Crackers by Red Rock Deli – available in Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar, Cheddar & Parmesan, and Honey Soy Chicken.

The crunch

An audible crunch is vital to a good snack plate – so much so, it requires its own category. The first snap of a Cheddar & Parmesan cracker is almost as good as munching it, right? It’s a moment where texture really carries the experience – a soggy cracker would be ditched pronto.

Crunch keeps your snack plate feeling fresh, just as much as the fruit and veg, so don’t fall for second-rate crackers.

The mix

The mix of textures and flavours matters – we’re not jumbling things onto a plate. Ramp up the contrast and anchor the spread with something substantial. A snack plate isn’t about eating less; it’s about keeping things no-fuss without compromising the result.

My reliable starting point is two boiled eggs, cut in half then topped with salt, pepper and olive oil. Then comes the mix: sweet, savoury, soft and crunchy. Sliced strawberries or a few raspberries, a ripe fig split in two or juicy slices of orange. A pile of carrot sticks. Then balance the sweetness with a handful of cheesy crackers, some anchovy-stuffed olives and rings of sliced cucumber.

Switch the eggs for a tin of tuna instead, some sliced ham or a few falafels, and let the seasons dictate what fruit and veg you add.

Alternatively, you could start with a theme: a golden pile of Honey Soy Chicken crackers is a launchpad for Japanese flavours – just add edamame, nori and a few tofu puffs. Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream work well with Middle Eastern flavours: hot-pink pickled turnips, smoky baba ganoush and falafels, plus sliced tomatoes and cucumber dressed in lemon and sumac.

Something chewy (dried apricots or a slice of good sourdough) and something creamy (a few bocconcini or a dollop of hummus) are always welcome, too.

The wild card

Finally, add something just to delight. A stray Easter egg or a small bowl of honeyed yoghurt. A smaller-than-a-full-serve of last night’s leftovers: a golden roast potato, a single sushi roll, a tangle of spaghetti or some zesty lemon-dressed leaves. Find a piece of your snack puzzle that you’re really looking forward to eating, and you’ve got the key.

Red Rock Deli's Deli Style Crackers are king here. They’ve got that crunch and a certain pizzazz that a rice cake just can’t compete with. Personally, I can’t look past the Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar flavoured iteration – the deep zing of the vinegar, the crispy baked texture and the wavy little edges. More of them, please – and more snack plates while we’re at it.

And while I usually build mine for one, the same formula works just as well for a crowd. Scale everything up, add a few extra dips, cheeses and seasonal produce, and before long your humble snack plate becomes a generous sharing board.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Red Rock Deli.