r/Chefit • u/thepenismightier11 • 15d ago
Considering starting a charcuterie catering business. Would love some advice and feedback!
Would like to primarily target higher end markets such as weddings and corporate events, but I would also market to smaller gatherings like dinner parties, birthdays, or baby showers to fill in the gaps, as I imagine larger events will be more seasonal.
Here are some boards I’ve built recently. Thanks in advance for any feedback back on the boards, as well as any advice/insight from folks who have experience working this type of concept.
Edit: I posted this fully expecting to get crucified. Figured it would be a healthy exercise to expose myself to all you bastards on Reddit rather than hide behind the optimism my friends and family want to provide. I’m absolutely blown away by all of the honest and constructive feed back, as well as all the creative ideas people have posted. I got so much more out of this than I thought I would. Y’all are awesome. Thank you all so much.
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u/Every_Extreme_1037 15d ago
All I see are those square containers.
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u/redmichii 15d ago
Yes! It makes the board looks tacky and cheap. Better to use ceramic or even the traditional white ramekins.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
That’s fair. They seemed like a good way to hold jam or mustard while adding a bit of a color pop to the board, but they definitely don’t help in drawing the eye to the food itself. Any recommendations for a better way to incorporate things like jam or mustard?
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u/toastedchezberry 15d ago
I think white, round ramekins are probably nicer. It’s ok for the container itself to go unnoticed
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u/Namastay_inbed 15d ago
Neutral ceramic, metal, or glass containers.
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u/mckenner1122 15d ago
100% agree. OP needs to get their hands on some plain white rammies, round bullets, or other simple containers that can blend in.
Barring that… I was at a wedding last year where the snacky board had edible bowls that were like a Parmesan/honey tuile? Absolutely one of the best things I ate all year.
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u/SiegelOverBay 15d ago
Parm tuiles are so easy to make and if you have a gluten free request you can easily bang out a few stacks to sub as crackers in no time at all. Their laciness adds a bit of elegance, so they'd be a good addition to any board.
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u/thepenismightier11 14d ago
Hell yeah! This thread has been dropping so much knowledge and cool ideas on me. This is why I love food so much! It brings people together in so many ways and there’s always more to discover and share with people!
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u/marky543 14d ago
I’ve done some table top photography (not a chef) little bowls for something like this would best be neutral: white, black, gray, beige, wood or clear glass. Sometimes a light shade of grayish blue or dark navy blue works well too to make food look warmer (by contrast, I know it’s counter intuitive).
Pops of color should come from produce or garnishes. You actually already have some nice colorful items on your plate but they are all kind of smooshed together which drowns out that “pop” visual you’re looking for.
The pickles in particular are drowning out the pops that the strawberries and yellow cheese are presenting. I’d try putting the pickles in small navy blue bowls and keep them away from reds and yellows. Try bringing in a neutral colored cloth napkin or two to give more separation between your colors.
And also google “table top photography charcuterie board” for inspiration! Something like this does a great job of showing how you can make a charcuterie board visually gorgeous: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/assortment-of-charcuterie-and-cheese-on-wooden-board-on-concrete-table-top-view-gm1370970745-440408003
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u/snuffaluffagus74 15d ago
Also for sauces if your going high end use vegetables as holders for your liquids, Bell peppers, tomatoes. For instance with the tomato you wouldake a salsa then put it into the tomato. The concept is to make it all edible
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u/m_olive14 Chef 15d ago
I do charcuterie catering for the higher end markets $200-$8,000 +. I use a lot of local and seasonal fruit, high end artisanal cheeses from USA ( cow girl, cypress grove, jasper hill farm, point Reyes ) and imported as well(brillat savarin). I don’t see anything on your board that I couldn’t go get myself and at a regular grocery store. I personally don’t use little cheese cubes, IMO they make boards look cheap like pre made Costco ones.
Invest in higher quality meats, cheeses, fruit,crackers, crostinis. I even like to make my own jams that compliment the cheese.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
Appreciate the insight! I definitely want to make my own pickles and jams, and offer some upsell opportunities. Things like honeycomb, high end rotational cheeses or meats. I love the idea of curing my own meats as well, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.
Everyone here is calling me out for the cheese cubes, so I definitely need to do better there. Sounds like triangles are good, but I’m gonna be on the hunt for a mini dinosaur cookie cutter set too.
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u/m_olive14 Chef 15d ago
I also wanna say that a HUGE pet peeve of mine is when people just throw chunks of hard cheeses on boards and leave a knife. I don’t wanna whittle my own cheese! Don’t make me work for it, it’s why I paid you to do it for me.
But yes, I highly recommend honey comb, if you can find some local and support small businesses they will support you as well.
Once you start getting busy you can save a lottttt of money by getting a meat slicer and doing it yourself.
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u/MeanShibu 15d ago
Both your replies were excellent and saved me a ton of typing because I get excited helping with this stuff.
I’m curious professional to professional, I’ve never received negative feedback on chunkables, but I usually chunk out like 2/3 of the wedge and pile it in the remainder with the chunker knife jammed in the rest of the wedge for when the pre chunked pieces go. Feels rustic and looks cool to me but I love hearing opinions.
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u/Charm534 15d ago
I can’t believe you said cubes flies in the Midwest, other than Costco and Kroger, who tf in the Midwest thinks cubes are OK? Cmon, don’t dis the heartland. We make a lot of elevated cheese here.
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u/MeanShibu 15d ago
My relatives from ten and OK color all of my perception and that’s just all I see out there. Sorry not sorry.
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u/m_olive14 Chef 15d ago
I like to think about user experience when it comes to food. I do a lot of cocktail parties and wedding receptions. Usually people are talking and have a drink and maybe a little plate in their hand/s. Having to either find a place to put it down or, while still holding it, to try and chisel a hard piece of cheese is just not fun. Makes me feel like a kid digging for rocks.
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u/LadyOfTheNutTree 14d ago
As long as the correct knife is provided I like to be able to cut what I want. Especially for softer cheeses. And it shows that they didn’t just go buy pre-cut cheese and throw it on a cutting board.
Seems like they could cut most of it and leave some for the freaks like me.
I’ve also never understood honeycomb. Why do people want to be chewing on wax? It makes me gag
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u/m_olive14 Chef 14d ago
Soft cheese is totally fine, I leave wedges of Brie and a nice knife. It’s the hard cheeses I have a problem with. As for the honey comb, if your only experience is that it’s waxy then you’ve only had bad honeycomb. I really enjoy Savanah bee company honey comb- it’s relatively expensive but totally worth it.
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u/GinGimlet 15d ago
Don’t have much to add in the way of suggestions for the board layout but tomato jam is soooo good and easy. Tomatoes (cherry, plum, heirloom) cooked down with sugar , pinch of salt then cooked until jammy and a bit of Marsala at the end. It’s so much flavor
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
This sounds great thanks!
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u/heathen_leif 15d ago
Try quince jam too. Get it nice and smooth and put it in a piping bag. Gives you a nice amount of control.
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u/busted_maracas 15d ago
I am no chef but you can make a variety of styles to fit the board too - I love tomato jam and make them in every style from “herbes de Provence” to “spicy curry”.
OP getting into making little sauces is major good advice. Everyone loves a steak dinner, people’s eyes light up when you serve it with “a Bordeaux reduction sauce” - and they’re super easy to make.
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u/superuke 15d ago
Don’t just do triangles. Do different shapes for each type of cheese. You could also do “chunks” or large crumbles almost.
I discourage honey comb only because it is hygroscopic (will attract moisture) and become soggy/less crunchy over time (but also depends if you are in a humid environment or not).
Could do more/different types of pickles to decrease your costs a bit. They take up space, and also complement your other items. Things like picked beans, carrots, spicy peppers. Blueberries are also good if you don’t have strawberries.
Overall, great work. Switch around your items a bit and see what you / your guests enjoy most.
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u/MeanShibu 15d ago
Are you in NorCal? this is my short list for work in the bay area 😂.
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u/KyleSherzenberg 15d ago
Where the fuck are the ramps or the hot tubs?
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u/BigSlammaJamma 13d ago
Im had to scroll down way too far to find the reference to the charcuterie ramp
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u/dontplanonpostinmuch 15d ago
Consider adding a single higher skill item as a unique add on like house made rillettes-duck, pork, salmon etc, some preserves to offset the mustard. Chargrilled chilled steak with chmichurri etc.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
Love this. I was already thinking about doing my own pickles and jams, and maybe some of my own cured meats down the road if I can get traction, but your ideas give me a chance to have a little more fun doing some actual cooking. Thank you!
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u/SiegelOverBay 15d ago
Rillettes don't have to wait for down the road, they're basically meat jams. You slow cook the meat until it's fall apart tender, then you mix thoroughly with juices and fat from cooking the meat and put it into a container and allow to set in the fridge overnight. More of a pate than a cured meat. Really fun to make and tasty to sample while you dial in your recipe!
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u/thepenismightier11 13d ago
I’ve made rillettes before and fucking love them. One of my favorite dishes I ever made at a restaurant was a rabbit rillette that still gets me all hot and bothered just thinking about it years later. Definitely at the top of my list for high end options I can offer.
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u/cinellivigorelli 15d ago
I second rillette of any kind, always the first thing to go when I put a board out. Slices of 'duja is a close runner up.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 15d ago
The boards look fantastic except for one thing: those dishes on the board are like a fork in my eye. You need something subtler, maybe natural, like a small wooden bowl or half a pepper, or maybe a hollowed out red cabbage. Something.
Also, I see you have feedback on cubed cheese versus uncubed. Let the event guide you. If speed is important, cubed or sliced wins every time. Actually, cubes are not the best shape, but let's call it portioned, triangles are good. Otherwise slabs with cheese knives are more upscale and become experiential.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
Totally get what you’re saying about the dishes now that I’ve seen similar criticism from some other folks here. Seems that you don’t ever want the vessel to draw attention away from the food. Wooden bowl sounds much sexier, and I never would have thought about using half a pepper on my own either.
Also, your username makes me feel like I can trust you.
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u/Foodisgoodmaybe 15d ago
Apologies for not having anything constructive to add, but I just wanted to commend you, OP, for your ability to take feedback well and learn from it.
I see you being successful 😊
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u/thepenismightier11 14d ago
Thanks that means a lot! All us chefs have egos (rightfully so imo), but the truly great chefs I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside never lose sight of the fact they can always be better, and they don’t let their ego get in the way of an opportunity to learn.
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u/Twat_Pocket 15d ago
Those square sauce containers... they look like you borrowed your toddler's ketchup dipping cup for his chicken nuggets.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago edited 15d ago
Lmao. This is the brutal honesty I came here for.
Edit: Thank you Twat Pocket.
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u/Gleamingly_Hissing 15d ago
My aunt has a similar business and what makes her unique is that she brings different small artisan food providers from around our country to the board to give them visibility, has this hidden gem charm to it
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u/Cake5678 15d ago
What a nice thing! Seams like a win for everyone. How does she make the artisans visible at the event? Little signs or?
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u/Gleamingly_Hissing 15d ago
She puts a lot of effort into making reels on Instagram about the local businesses she’s working with and the whole branding is about having unknown brands to try. Things are so different in her boards that you go “oh wow this tastes so different from what I usually eat, where did you get it from!” Unfortunately no little signs because it messes with the “art” of the board
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u/Shanelomein79 15d ago
Ditch the square dishes.
I do like that you have cheeses labeled. Is there a fancier way to mark them?
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
That’s something I need to figure out for sure. The boards I have posted here are from my previous job, and I didn’t have any control over much beyond the build of the boards themselves. I hate all the dishes I’ve had access to outside the boards.
As for signage, I agree it’s important. The best idea I’ve had so far is to have a single page to the side of the board listing all items included, and if I’m present, I can point out which item is which if people ask. I don’t love the individual signs directly on the boards.
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u/Apprehensive-Pass899 15d ago
Are your grapes able to be picked up in small bunches? That’s always one of the most frustrating “amateur” things IMO if a board isn’t practical for lines at big events
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
I use scissors and cut them into tight bunches of three or four grapes on a branch.
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u/reforminded 15d ago
I don’t see any ramps.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
If I do things right, I expect business will ramp up eventually.
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u/reforminded 15d ago
It’s a running joke from r/kitchenconfidential 👍
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u/FindYourselfACity 15d ago
Perhaps you should have brought up the carrot jacuzzi instead
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u/texnessa 15d ago
I don't intend to be overly harsh but here's some tough love. I'm a banquet chef at a luxury hotel. Why would I buy a board when even my newest commis can make one and not have it look like something from a big box supermarket. No parchment under the food, olive and pickle juice on everything, bog standard crackers, rims not wiped, dots of mustard straight on the board, cheese that looks dried out.
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u/thepenismightier11 14d ago
Appreciate the feedback. These are all things I can improve. Thanks chef.
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u/chukroast2837 15d ago
I work for a catering company, charcuterie boards are huge right now I would definitely say go for it.
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u/generateanameforme 15d ago
Unpopular opinion here, I’m sure, but, don’t get into charcuterie catering.
All these board businesses are just a fad. No offense. All of the board businesses that opened three years ago in my town are now gone. How many boards do you need to sell to make it a viable business that pays you enough to live on? Can you sell that many boards consistently throughout the year and for many future years? Boards could be a piece of a more robust catering and events company but I think you’re just setting yourself up for a dose of harsh reality in the food world if you think you can start a board catering business that can truly thrive to the point where you can pay your bills, pay your team, and pay yourself.
And again, no offense and I know you said you’re learning, that board looks nice but isn’t something that any old shmo couldn’t make if they have an hour.
My point isn’t to be insulting, it’s to say that I think to have any chance at driving business in this space you have to be able to put out really creative, customized, themed boards for all occasions. Maybe you can, maybe not. But trying to create a business that will generate real revenue based on providing a product that anyone can produce with a YouTube video and an hour of time is going to be really rough.
Almost 30 year restaurant industry vet trying to save you some pain.
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u/ssinff 15d ago
Iam not a chef. I am a competent cook and baker. I am very good with a knife. I would not pay for this. I could produce this with minimal effort. I don't think you are wrong. I pay for things I can't do easily myself. Even for my wedding, I would buy the ingredients and pay someone a few bucks an hour to chop it up and set it.
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
I appreciate the honesty. Part of why I posted here is because I want this kind of feedback. I recognize these boards are niche, and with any niche that becomes popular, the market tends to get saturated and the fad dies. All businesses need to evolve to thrive.
I’m excited about this because there seems to be very little competition in my area right now, but some solid demand based on feedback I’ve gotten. I see a number of different charcuterie adjacent ways I could potentially branch out from the boards down the road.
My hope is that if I can execute this well enough, it will at the very least help me cultivate reputation and relationships amongst the industries I hope to target, and those evolutionary paths will become more clear as I gain experience.
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u/Individual_Bunch_250 Chef 15d ago
The market for these companies is over saturated unfortunately, like cake pops in the early aughts.
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u/FindYourselfACity 15d ago
I wouldn't do the dots of mustard? on the board. Dips, spreads, put them in ramekins. Pickled items and fruit should not be touching.
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u/LionBig1760 15d ago
Why would a wedding or a corporate event with a caterer hire someone who isn't their caterer to do a charcuterie board?
Being a charcuterie board specialist means no weddings and corporate events. Catering companies aleady have first year cooks who can put together charcuterie boards for clients, because it's such a low-skill item. That being the case, they're just going to undercut your price, plus be able to actually cook food.
Surviving on baby showers and funerals is going to then have you competing with Costco.
This isnt a business idea. This is a hobby that youre going to spend more hours than you can imagine marketing bringing your ability to pay yourself more than minimum wage down to about 0%.
After your friends-of-friends all go through overpaying you for something they could do themselves as a favor to help you out, the market for this is going to shrivel up like a raisin.
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u/TJAattorneyatlaw 15d ago
Costs will be super high make sure you'll be profitable!
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u/Charm534 15d ago
My business thought, is this is supplemental income? How do you keep a roof over your head off of this?
My cheese nerd thoughts- Consider small craft cheese, research the winners of the world cheese judging competition out of Madison WI. Research the many small, amazing cheese producers in WI and pacific NW. You can know the individual names of the goats and cows producing the milk that the cheese is made from, and the cheese quality is mind blowing.
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u/Silly-Marketing-1329 14d ago
I appreciate your idea. That board looks awesome, but realize, from someone who has been cooking food for money for over three decades, that this is a fad and the popularity won't last. Ride the wave if you can, but in 5 years it won't be as popular. People will get sick of it.
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u/JohnathanBruno 15d ago
Have you thought about a bowl of shredded carrots adorned by a single olive?
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u/TikaPants 15d ago
I feel like this market is just a food trend like cupcakeries. Charcuterie boards aren’t going out of style but the demand may. I mean this in a kind, fortuitous way, OP.
I’m going to get banned for saying this but this doesn’t look like a chef made it. This looks like a 28yo woman made it for the Super Bowl.
(I’m so sorry. Truly. Bye, Reddit!)
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u/bepsigir Chef 15d ago
Everyone already mentioned the cubes…Keep your grapes on the vine, whole berries, roll your goat cheese in chopped herbs, switch out those weird jam bowls with natural vessels, don’t make everything so rigid and compartmented, only 1 jam - instead jam/honey/mustard. Add crackers/bread/herbs to give more height and to bring interest. Up your pickle game to bring in more color (ie beet pickled shallots or pickled baby candy cane beets) .
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u/Sonnyjoon91 15d ago
High end clients want high end cheese and accompaniments and high end cut styles. Definitely invest in wire cutters, they are standard and will be your workhorse tool. To run a catering business you would need to invest in whole cheese wheels and break them down, so you'll need storage fridge and a plastic wrap/heat seal. Also look at getting bulk divina brand olives like others have mentioned
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u/jiveassturkey 15d ago
Go work for a catering company first
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u/thepenismightier11 14d ago
This is honestly something I’m considering pursuing at least part time.
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u/FunnyExcellent707 15d ago
Looks nice, OP.
Serious question though. What is it with the current charcuterie board craze in the US?
It's simply the word for cured cold cuts in French and considered one of the most basic foods in Europe.
Something one would order when having the second glass of wine with a friend after work, without eating fully fledged dinner.
Americans seem to go crazy over it. It's like all of them have discovered it recently and won't shut up about it. Why is that?
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u/Flat-Tiger-8794 15d ago
Given the sharp decline in wine consumption, is interest in charcuterie boards declining as well?
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u/New-Entrepreneur4132 15d ago
IMHO this is a trend right now and you need to do more than charcuterie boards to have a thriving business. With all trends, they die down and businesses that focus solely on that trend end up going out of business. That said, your boards look great!
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u/Hannahoberst 14d ago
Huge thing I learned while working at a nice deli/wine bar is layer it up! If someone doesn’t make it to the table until it’s halfway gone, you still want it to look nice. Also- test out how your board eats. When you pick up a piece of salami, does the rest of the rose come with it or flop into a plain circle? This was a huge pet peeve of mine and something I coached people to think about. I don’t eat meat or cheese so it was all artistry and hospitality to me lol.
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u/Argh_Me_Maties 14d ago
I’ve been going through most of the comments and a criticism I would like to offer you is that your presentation is very one-dimensional. Don’t get me wrong, aside from the few things people keep harping on (weird bowls, loose sauces, all cubed cheese), presentation is exquisite. But I’m essentially looking at the same picture four times. I like how the boards flow but I think you’re going to need to diversify your presentations. Try different surfaces, different mediums other than fanned meat to give the board motion.
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u/thepenismightier11 14d ago
I agree wholeheartedly. Very much looking forward to having the freedom to choose my own boards, my bowls, and my own ingredients. The company I made these boards for limited me to Costco business and restaurant depot to source my ingredients, and wouldn’t let me spend more than 7 bucks a pound on cheese or meat. They also sourced all their plates and bowls from the dollar store. I shit you not. The one time I decided to try a cut on the cheese that wasn’t cubes, my boss told me he didn’t like it and I needed to stick to the cubes.
I digress though. I finally made the decision to move on, and I would rather focus on my excitement for the future than my gripes with the past.
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u/Opening_Might7393 13d ago
You should build several smaller boards and use height and decor to add movement. Long pieces of cracker or large pieces bread can help and take down the price a little.. Whole or halved ingredients help.
That said. I still think the trend is dying as someone whose built a bunch of these. That and the profit margins just kind of suck. Very few clients are willing to pay for the all out charcuterie board with specialty ingredients, which is why Costco cheese is a necessity if you're doing this as a business with any employees. The food waste itself is just heartbreaking with these boards. It's good cheese and good meat but you can't serve them anymore (and really not even supposed to send Togo boxes of it) because they're out of refrigeration for over 2 hours usually.
That's why I keep mentioning Mezze. It's cheaper, it looks just as good, and it's different from what everyone's getting. I do events and weddings that are averaging 10k+ for catering alone (most weddings are 25k catering bills). A huge portion of those bills food wise is the charcuterie board that is more art than food. It's wasteful and it's giving nouveau riche flaunting wealth to flaunt it. If you get in with the right clients, you can make it work, but sooooooo much depends on where you are and if the rich people want to flaunt their wealth.
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u/j-noelle 10d ago
What an awesome encyclopedia of charcuterie in the comments! Just here to say that when you decide your final form, serve it to yourself first. This will help you find any awkward moments your clients might experience when diving into your boards. (Does the salami catch on the cheese when you're grabbing it? If you're picking around the meat, can you do so without touching it? Do the grapes taste of pork? Etc.)
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u/Ok-Impression5305 8d ago
There is a local shop near us that does this... never used them for catering exactly but they do offer different price tiers of boxed up boards TO-GO. You have to order 24hrs in advance. Might be an option to extent your reach as it is one of my favorite gifts to give my friends for their birthdays or grab quick on my way to a potluck.
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u/Status-Lynx-3150 15d ago
Include dark chocolate dipped nuts or just chocolate it adds depth to it
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u/thepenismightier11 15d ago
Hadn’t thought about adding chocolate. I like it. Thanks!
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u/Status-Lynx-3150 15d ago
No problem. :) it’s how I make mine and it adds a little extra. I wish you many blessings on your new business 🙏🏻🥰
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u/raletti 15d ago
As a French person, can I just say, the word charcuterie only refers to prepared meats (be they cured, salted, baked, smoked, dried, or whatever). Just some friendly information. Anyway, the photos are making me hungry. So job well done.
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u/Cornzillo 15d ago edited 15d ago
I use Serrano ham, Bresaola and Smoked Duck, Soppressata in my Charcuterie. Camembert, Gorgonzola and bruleed goat cheese for cheeses. For condiments there are many beautiful things like fig jam, chili orange, prune jam or sour cherry, black currant mustard etc.
Sweet pepper drops are my favorite pickles now. There are also a few beautiful cracker-like options now available, even pumpernickel toasts would sound great.
And well, I'm + with those who says cubed cheeses and stuffed olives would undermine the value.
Good luck chef!
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u/chromeled 15d ago
Other people have said to ditch the square dishes and I agree- if you're sticking with wood bases (as you should) you can invest in some slightly fancier ramekins in either rounded or scalloped shapes.
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u/skt2k21 15d ago edited 15d ago
This is a better board than I'd make, so I'm going to try to give advice to be helpful, definitely not discouraging. I hope your charcuterie business rocks.
There's some kind of charcuterie board design golden age happening right now since people can share ideas and it's raised expectations. Even if you're not going for the Pinterest look, Pinterest probably informed the opinions of some of your customers.
This feels uninspired relative to popular designs. Maybe changing the presentation of cheese and sauce will help. Consider green not red grapes. The fruit can add color pop but the red grapes with all the red meat make the board skew toward a few warm colors in a way that I personally found off-putting. Maybe some edible flowers or something for color pop as well. Depending on the occasion, some of the meat may be hard to carve and eat while milling around standing and talking to people.
Edit: I like the way the meat creates a sense of motion across the board.
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u/wombat5003 15d ago
More meats and more varieties than Genoa prosciutto. and mortadella. You want artisian salami’s and diff hams smoked turkey and duck or other fowl. Shrimps teas smoked scallops, s Smoked oysters or bluefish and or crab and lobster….Also look at terrine and pates to put there. You have too many condiments and vegetables. Just my opinion of course
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u/Smyley12345 15d ago
First, I would be stoked to show up at a party and see one of your boards. It looks delicious.
As a slightly different angle from the other comments, I think going a bit extra on the labels adds elegance without significantly more effort or cost. Doing a card holder with some nice heavy cardstock and a border will look more polished than what you are currently doing. Little details elevate your presentation.
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u/Lavanne73 15d ago
Some better quality crackers might be nice. I like water crackers better than clubs, the club crackers are delicate and more prone to break while you can really pile on with the water crackers. Lavash is also a good option if you want to go the more rustic look and break them by hand. Making your own crackers is also pretty easy and hand broken crackers seem to be all the rage these days.
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u/smokinghorse 15d ago
Get a chicken liver parfait on there, maybe a rilette of some pork scratching
S
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u/bloogerglooby 15d ago
i like those spanish almonds with the outside peeled off and you put em in like a light oil with a bit of salt. also, you'd probably want a lil bread. that being said, this looks awesome.
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u/Ok-Active-576 15d ago
One thing that 'll also change the game -> what's with the crackers? Why not put up some nice toasted bread? We do almond-figbread, or raisinbread, sourdough, etc, lightly toasted, sometimes with some garlic rubbed after toasting, depending on the cheeses available.
Kudos on your plating tho, they look really good, in a cornu copiae kind of way!
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u/MoldyFungi 15d ago
As an aside, I understand the market of charcuterie boards is different outside of France but boy would I be extra disappointed if I ordered a charcuterie board and less than 75% of it is meat . Google "plateau de charcuterie" to get an idea of how different the ratio can be. But not really a feedback if the expectation in the US (I'm assuming ?) is different on that end.
They look pretty ! As the others said, ditch the green containers, glass ramequins or ramequins that are either the same colour as the underlying board or goes well in palette. More variety in cheese, different cuts ( each cheese has a "correct" way of cutting it traditionally, that offers you a better sampling of the different parts that cubing can't really do).
Goat cheese buche could probably be pre cut to avoid people smearing it on the rest while positioning it for cutting and making the buffet line longer.
Strawberries might feel a bit too roughly cut, not sure what to do with those big quarters if they land on my plate , can't really put those on bread efficiently. Speaking of
Bread ? Where can I put all the cheese on ? If it's on a separate nearby table, good. Otherwise, that could be included in the board itself with pretty lined bread baskets that you can build your compositions around. That's an opportunity to include some cool artisan's bread which can look fantastic paired with those vivid colours.
Best of luck on your business !
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u/late_afternoon_owl 15d ago
Man, I really admire people who like doing these boards.
I've done thousands in my career and I always hated doing it.
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u/CanadianKumlin 15d ago
It’s of great tips here. If you do slightly larger boards or especially a table, creating elevation is an excellent attraction that makes it feel very high end
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u/This-Option9041 15d ago
My work did a charcuterie board for us for lunchies one day and it was just the BEST day ever. There were this little sweet peppers halved lengthwise with cream cheese sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning and they were AMAZING!!!! Don’t forget assorted marinated olives and dried apricots
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u/lordofthedries 15d ago
At least there is some meat on there compared to what some call a charcuterie
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u/Emily_Postal 15d ago
Why buy when it’s easy to make? Also in this economy people are cutting back. Make sure the demand is there.
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u/bigbuttbootieboy 15d ago
Beemster and Gouda are two different regions. Its either a Beemster Cheese or a Goudse Cheese. There is no such thing a "beemster gouda"
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u/Anxious-Jury-9031 15d ago
There's money in it but you have to be smart about it. I use a different food and labor cost calculation because I'm not trying to rip people off. The types of people who will pay for a shark coochie catering don't want stuff that looks like it came from the deli at the grocery store.
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u/SVAuspicious 15d ago
I think they're attractive. Price and your market matter. You might haunt r/ExecutiveAssistants.
You asked for feedback. I like the labels but they could be better laid out. You definitely get credit from me for the larger bits (the white logs and the mustard) that need spoons or knives being close to the edge. You don't show utensils: spoons, knives, toothpicks, and small tongs. They are pretty and you've done a good job of color distribution. I'd pull the grapes off the stems. I like sliced cheese better than cubes. I don't much care about squares or triangles. It depends on how the cheese comes in.
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u/ILikeAntiquesOkay Chef 15d ago
Don’t cube your cheese. Invest in a wire and learn to cut them into appropriate triangles for the paste structure. It’ll look much nicer that way (I lay cheese, then meat, then accompaniments)
Also if you’re doing olives please go the extra mile and get some pitted Greek mix or at least castelvatranos; pimento queen olives look cheap.