Locally made charcuterie boards provide artistic, delectable displays for the holidays
Fête Boards owners Sara Gooden (left) and Lauren Hardesty started their custom charcuterie business a little over a year ago and have been evolving the concept since. Photo by The Malicote Studio
Instagram is brimming with photos of charcuterie boards laden with stunning, edible displays of meat, crackers and bread, fruit, cheese, nuts, jams and more.
But buying full-sized packages of so many specialty ingredients to put together your own board can quickly add up, as can the time and talent it takes to perfectly arrange it all. Coming to the rescue, several Lexington businesses are offering up their own attention-grabbing charcuterie boards to jazz up your holiday table or to give as a gift.
While the origins of the French word “charcuterie” refer to meat, today’s charcuterie boards can include a multitude of cheeses, nuts and other accompaniments.
Sara Gooden and Lauren Hardesty paired friendship with entrepreneurship when they started their Lexington charcuterie board business, Fête Boards. The business launched on a limited basis about a year ago and has been more popular than either of them originally imagined.
Gooden said she would often bring charcuterie boards as appetizers to parties, and Hardesty suggested making them for others as a business venture. Today, the duo work out of shared commercial kitchen space in the North Limestone restaurant Favor.
Gooden said orders for delivery at a specific time are placed via a web-based system, with boards available in small (serving two-to-four people), large and extra-large sizes, though custom installations can also be arranged. This year, with COVID safety in mind, the duo catered a wedding with 48 single-serving charcuterie boxes, individually wrapped for each guest.
Purchasing a pre-made custom charcuterie board can be a great way to impress your guests with minimal effort. Individually portioned charcuterie boards have also become increasingly popular during the pandemic. Photo by The Malicote Studio, courtesy of Fete Boards
Their boards, which come with disposable and biodegradable palm leaf platters (unless customers wish to provide their own platters), are also popular as gifts to congratulate new parents, homeowners or as a gesture of sympathy.
Wine + Market owner Renée Saunier Brewer not only offers charcuterie boards as carryout items but also hosts weekly virtual wine tastings that can be paired with a cheese plate. The shop is also bringing back its popular Advent calendar wine selection this year, with an optional add-on charcuterie kit, she said.
Brewer said people enjoy charcuterie boards because they are both attractive and easy to eat.
“It’s an approachable way to make something that is beautiful but is also culinary at the same time,” she said.
Brewer said she likes using different types of cheeses made from cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk. She also varies the textures of cheeses included on a board, from soft and creamy to firm, crumbly or hard. A variety of colors is also important to the overall effect, she said, such as a pale goat cheese arranged next to a bright yellow cheddar.
A variety of meats can also be used, like salami and serrano ham and prosciutto di parma. Usually, unless otherwise instructed, Brewer uses two-thirds cheese and one-third meat for each presentation. While staying mindful of allergies or food sensitivities, she often adds an assortment of nuts, as well as dried fruit and pickled options like cornichons, caper berries and olives.
She said she prefers a day’s notice for smaller platters and about three days’ notice for larger orders.
University of Kentucky student Taylor Haynes launched her solo venture, Le Fromage Boards, in July, after her income from babysitting gigs dried up during the pandemic.
She’d been making charcuterie boards for years for events and get-togethers, and with her newfound extra time, Haynes began making them for herself and her roommates. With positive feedback across the board, she decided to go into business for herself. She found a commercial kitchen she could use and launched social media accounts to promote her offerings.
Haynes arranges the food on acrylic boards customers can keep. She also enjoys setting up “grazing tables” for larger gatherings by laying a swath of butcher paper across a table and artfully arranging a variety of meat, cheeses, crackers and accoutrements on top.
Haynes’ boards range from individual portions to a large board for $95, or a grazing table for a couple hundred dollars. Along with word of mouth, she promotes her business on social media, posting photos and fast-motion videos of herself assembling her creations.
Charcuterie boards, such as these eye-catching displays created by University of Kentucky student Taylor Haynes and her new business, Le Fromage Boards, help make home entertaining easy. Photo furnished
When she graduates, Haynes plans to continue her side business, saying, “it’s something that brings a lot of joy to me.”
At J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar, owner Gwyn Everly offers occasional yet increasingly popular $18.99 charcuterie board specials, which she plans to continue throughout the holidays.
“I always like to have at least three meats and three types of cheese,” she said, including the restaurant’s house-made smoked cheddar, often served alongside a soft cheese and a sharp cheddar. Around these, she arranges assorted nuts, fresh and dried fruits, olives, and assorted crackers, bread or pita, along with condiments like spicy mustard, hot bacon jam and red pepper jam.
One of her favorite additions lately is red chili pistachios.
“Our regulars really went crazy for that,” she said.
Everly also uses social media to pique customers’ interest.
“It’s something that maybe through the winter we may look at adding [to the menu] because it’s the perfect shareable appetizer,” she said.
Though they each still hold full-time jobs, Gooden and Hardesty of Fête Boards have been pleasantly surprised how in-demand their services are. They hoped to do about 10 boards during the holidays last year and found themselves doing 24 on Christmas Eve alone, Gooden said.
“I think [they’re popular] because, aesthetically, they’re really pretty, they’re delicious, and there’s a little bit of something for everyone,” Hardesty said.