Building a charcuterie board that does not run out in ten minutes
A board that looks generous and lasts an evening is a matter of proportion, not expense.
Quantity before arrangement
As a starting point, allow around two ounces of cheese and two of cured meat per person if the board is an appetiser, and roughly double that if it is the meal.
Every board that empties immediately was underfilled at the start, not badly arranged.
Three cheeses is enough
One hard, one soft and one blue or strongly flavoured covers the range. More than three and people stop being able to tell them apart.
Take them out of the fridge half an hour before serving; cold cheese tastes of very little.
Fold the meat
Cured meat laid flat looks sparse and takes up the board without filling it. Folded, ruffled or rolled, the same quantity creates height and reads as abundance.
Height is the single biggest visual difference between a good board and a flat one.
Fill the gaps last
Nuts, olives, dried fruit and crackers go in after the anchors are placed, filling the spaces rather than being arranged first.
Working in that order is what stops a board looking like a plate with piles on it.
Leave a way in
A knife for each cheese and one clear edge where the first person can start. Boards that are perfectly sealed with garnish do not get touched.
Somebody has to break the pattern, and making that easy matters.
Wood or slate
Acacia and other hardwoods are warm, quiet and kind to knives. Slate and marble look sharp and stay cold, which suits soft cheese in a warm room.
Wood needs oiling occasionally and never goes in a dishwasher.
Size the board to the table
A board that dominates the table leaves nowhere for plates and glasses. Two smaller boards at either end usually work better than one large one.
It also means people are not reaching across each other all evening.
Where this sits in the shop
Varick’s Market Place groups its range into 6 sections, so it is usually quicker to start from the group than to scroll the whole shop. These are the ones with stock on the shelf right now:
- Serving Trays — 7 items
- Outdoor and Party — 3 items
- Tiered Stands — 3 items
- Decorative Trays — 3 items
- Charcuterie Boards — 2 items
- Lazy Susans — 1 item
If none of those is obviously right, the full shop lists everything on one page.
What it costs
Across the 19 items currently listed, prices run from $7.88 to $97.99, with the middle of the range around $24.99. That spread is worth knowing before you start comparing, because the cheapest and dearest options here are usually not the same kind of product at all.
Shipping is a flat $7.99 per order and free once the order reaches $65.00, which is set out in full on the Shipping Policy page.
Questions that come up with this
Are you open at unusual hours?
The counter runs Mon–Sun: 6:00 AM–12:00 AM at 80 Varick St, New York, NY 10013. Online orders can be placed at any time.
How soon does an order ship?
Within one to two business days, then two to five business days in transit inside the United States.
What is carriage?
A flat $8.49 per order, and nothing from $65.00 upward.
The FAQ page covers the rest.
Coming in instead
Varick’s Market Place is at 80 Varick St, New York, NY 10013, open Mon–Sun: 6:00 AM–12:00 AM. If you would rather look at something before buying it, call +1 212-547-8754 and we will put it aside for you.
Anything already ordered can be followed on the order tracking page.
Four products that show the range
The least expensive way in: VCREATC Small Black Rectangular Tray, 8.1″ x 4.1″ Plastic Organizer at $7.88. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
A step up from the basics: UP Red Coral Melamine Serving Tray, 15″ Rectangular Platter for Entertaining at $18.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
A middle-of-the-range option: Gibson Home Gracious Dining 3-Tier Rectangle White & Gold Serving Set at $29.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
The most substantial option: Vercraft 40″ x 40″ Square Black HDPE Picnic Table with 8 Cup Holders at $97.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.
Related reading
Other pieces in this journal that cover neighbouring ground:
- Tiered stands: what they are actually for
- Melamine, plastic or porcelain: choosing a serving tray
- Lazy susans: an old idea that still solves a modern problem
- Serving outdoors when there is no kitchen nearby
The full journal index lists everything we have written so far.
In short
A board that looks generous and lasts an evening is a matter of proportion, not expense. If you want to talk it through rather than read about it, +1 212-547-8754 reaches the shop during opening hours, and the contact page has everything else.