Imagine entering your friend’s home and being greeted by a long table overflowing with artfully placed cured meats shaped into flowers, hard and soft cheeses of every variety, sweet fruits, crisp veggies and briny olives.
No, you’re not dreaming. You’re about to experience a grazing board, the extended version of a meat and cheese board, fit to feed large parties of people.
The word “charcuterie,” which means “cured meats,” dates to 15th-century France, when people used preserved meat products to create the kind of spreads and boards we love today. Ancient Romans are said to have used a similar technique, dating back as early as 6,000 years ago. Of course, the charcuterie board has come a long way, but it remains a well-loved item at many gatherings.
“The French and the Italians, they know how good [charcuterie] is, so they held onto it,” said Lacey Funderburk, owner of Sullivan’s Board Co. “They’ve always used it, and it made its way over here. … But then, somebody made a jazzed up version of a charcuterie board and posted it on Pinterest or Instagram, and here we are today.”
Meat and cheese boards entered the trendy food spotlight in the last 10 years, but they’ve managed to stick around as a beloved item to order during a romantic date night, make as a snack at home or serve as a main course at corporate events and weddings.
Filling a niche
Funderburk started her company, a charcuterie delivery service, in 2020 when her return to the food and beverage industry was on an indefinite hold in the midst of Covid-19. She graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in culinary management from the Art Institute of Charleston before working in restaurants on the peninsula, including Minero, during the pandemic.
But she and her husband began to miss their ritual of going out to eat and snacking on meat and cheese boards — and she realized there were little to no options for charcuterie delivery. The idea for Sullivan’s Board Co. was born. Funderburk started catering small gatherings as Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, which developed into larger opportunities, including at-home parties, weddings, corporate events and more.
“It really just evolved,” she said. “I’ve always wanted a small, local business. I know who I’m talking to, and the customer knows who they’re talking to, as well. So although the company has grown, it’s still local. And it’s still me that they’re going to be talking to.”
Another experienced Charleston food-and-bev veteran, Melinda Brown, saw a similar opportunity when she opened her business, Nosh Boards Charleston, in June 2021. Brown said she’s “been in the food service industry basically my whole life.” After graduating from the Culinary Institute of Charleston, she worked various jobs in the industry, including a position as the catering chef for Boeing.
The pandemic gave her the opportunity to explore an idea for her own business, and charcuterie boards seemed the perfect fit.
“I was always the friend who would bring the charcuterie boards or fruit boards [to parties],” she said. “I’d always done them in the past, but when the pandemic hit and everybody became addicted to TikTok, I kept seeing … charcuterie boards, and I didn’t even know they were trendy. I’ve always done them. It wasn’t anything unusual for me.”
Brown decided to combine her extensive food service knowledge and charcuterie skills to start her delivery and pick-up service with a variety of board and grazing table options, including dessert boards with handmade chocolate-covered strawberries and items from local pastry chef Danielle Key of Almond Dust Patisserie (you can find Key’s goods at local spots like Boxcar Betty’s and The Establishment).
Brown felt confident in her experience. “I probably made over 10,000 boards [at Boeing],” she said. “I could fruit board in my sleep.” She had the technique down to a science, but it took some time to solidify the more artistic side of her charcuterie style.
“The more you make them, the more you test out different placements and techniques. … The thing I had to get into my head is there’s no wrong or right placement,” Brown said. “You have to step back, relax and play around with it to get it the way you want it and come into your style. There’s tons of companies in Charleston, and most of us use the same ingredients, but we all have a different style.”
Something for everyone
Charcuterie boards and large grazing tables are a now go-to option for any kind of event whether you’re looking to feed guests at a home holiday party or a large event.
Kelsey Pettus, owner of CHS Coastal Charcuterie, said the variety and aesthetic look of boards is one of the reasons they’re so appealing.
“It can really go with anything,” she said. “Meat and cheese boards are one of those things that you can find something that everyone loves on it. You can incorporate so many different aspects. … It’s also a conversation starter when you walk in and see this massive grazing table.”
CHS Coastal Charcuterie, which offers pick-up and delivery, evolved from standard meat and cheese boards to veggie and fruit platters, dessert boards, movie night boards, and more, highlighting just how customizable boards can be. Vegan and vegetarian boards are available as veggie and fruit platters. Brunch boards overflow with croissants and waffles cater to daytime events.
“The biggest grazing table we’ve done I think was 250 people,” Pettus said. “So it was a long grazing table. Then we expanded into corporate gifting and bulk orders. Last year, we did Charleston Fashion week with well over 1,000 little charcuterie domes and fun things like that.”
More companies and private parties are turning to charcuterie catering because it offers a level of flexibility and customization that traditional catering can’t match.
“Sometimes it’s logistically easier to set up,” Brown said. “They’re convenient, customizable, and just really pretty. A grazing table is much prettier than a line of [table] pans with baked chicken. It has that wow-factor when you walk into someone’s home, and there’s a tiered grazing table for 100 people.”
With all that capability for customization comes room for creativity and artistic design. “It’s a hand-done craft,” Funderburk said, “so they’re all going to look different from business to business and person to person. It’s like if you paint a vase, and you paint another vase. It’s not going to be the same painting no matter how hard you try.”
Brown said she considers charcuterie boards to be 50% technique and 50% style, making each board completely unique. “I could look at 1,000 boards and there’s zero way I could copycat another one. Honestly, I can’t even copycat my own. Every single board is different.”
With so many options, it’s easy to see why people flock to charcuterie boards as a beautiful, delicious centerpiece. And despite speculation that meat and cheese boards might be just a passing trend, their widespread appeal and customizability have made them a staple in catering options.
As Brown told Dish, “Everybody loves a meat and cheese board.”
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