What We Make for Events Around Southern NH & the Merrimack Valley
Every board starts with classic charcuterie staples — cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, something crunchy, and a couple of dips — but the details change based on season and guest count.
Board Sizes & When Each Works
We don’t believe in tiny boards that barely feed anyone. As a general guide:
- Small Board (serves ~6–8): Good for add-on snacks or a casual hang at home.
- Medium Board (serves ~10–12): Works well for showers, book clubs, and office break rooms.
- Large Board (serves ~15–20): Most common for small parties or when you want one main spread without getting into a full grazing table.
- Extra-Large / Multi-Board Setups (25+ guests): Usually two or more boards arranged together so they look cohesive.
If you’re unsure what size makes sense, tell us roughly how many people you’re expecting and whether the board is the “main thing” or just something to snack on.
What Typically Goes on the Boards
Ingredients rotate a bit depending on what looks best that week, but here’s the usual mix:
- A couple of crowd-friendly cheeses (think aged cheddar, brie, manchego) plus a wildcard option
- Prosciutto, salami, soppressata, or similar cured meats
- Fresh fruit when local options are good — berries in summer, crisp apples and pears in fall
- Crackers, breadsticks, or sliced baguette
- Two dips or spreads (seasonal hummus, fig jam, honey with a wooden dipper, etc.)
- Something salty: olives, cornichons, or marinated peppers
- Garnishes that don’t just look pretty — fresh herbs, toasted nuts, citrus slices
Boards are built on wooden bases unless you request disposable.
What Works Well (and What to Expect)
Charcuterie seems simple, but there are a few things people don’t always think about until they’re hosting:
- Timing matters. Cheese tastes better closer to room temperature, so most boards are delivered 30–60 minutes before guests arrive.
- Outdoor events need shade. Summer sun + cheese is a rough combo. Most backyard setups do best under an umbrella or inside until guests show up.
- Kids usually pick out the fruit first. If the guest list skews young, we’ll include a little extra.
- Office deliveries need space cleared. People often underestimate how wide a large board actually is. A cleared 4–5 ft section of counter works.
If there’s a theme, color palette, or ingredient preference you want us to follow, just say so. We can lean rustic, colorful, or neat and symmetrical — whatever fits the event.
How It Works
1. Tell us the basics
A short message with your date, town, guest count, and the general vibe helps a lot. For example:
“Kids’ birthday in Windham, 25 people, starting around 2pm. Mostly snacks.”
Or
“Office gathering in Andover at 11:30am. Need something easy for people to graze on between meetings.”
These tiny details change portioning and the mix of foods more than people expect.
2. We map out what actually fits your event
Boards behave differently depending on the setting. A medium board is perfect for an indoor baby shower where people nibble slowly, but the same group outside on a warm day might need a little more food and more fruit than cheese.
We’ll look at your event timing, location, and crowd, then recommend one board or a combination that won’t leave anyone hungry.
3. Delivery, setup spot, and timing
Most charcuterie boards ride better in our car than in yours, so delivery is common. You don’t need to clear a huge area — just a clean counter or table.
For workplace deliveries, we’ll coordinate around meeting schedules so the food isn’t sitting lonely in a conference room for an hour.
4. You unwrap and serve
Boards are wrapped tightly for transport but arranged so nothing shifts. Once it’s on your table, you remove the wrap, and it’s ready to go.
If you want to keep something chilled for later in the day, just let us know, and we’ll package a few items separately.
Where We Cater
We generally travel within about 30 miles of Londonderry, which covers most of the Merrimack Valley and Southern NH. Common towns include Windham, Salem, Pelham, Methuen, Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, and Lawrence, along with Derry, Hudson, and Londonderry. If you’re close by but not listed, feel free to check in.
FAQs
Groups graze differently. Afternoon gatherings tend to eat more fruit and light snacks; evening events lean heavier on the cheese and meats. As a rule of thumb, a large board comfortably supports 15–20 people if it’s part of a mix of foods, or 12–15 if it’s the main thing. If you tell us the time of day and who’s coming, we’ll size it properly so it lasts.
Yes. We regularly do no-pork boards using turkey-based salami, sliced chicken, beef bresaola, or extra cheese/fruit options. Just mention it when you book.
Definitely. Some events want basically a giant cheese board with fruit, nuts, dips, and breads, and we can build around that. We also have plenty of protein-free options if needed.
Indoors, you get a solid two hours at a comfortable room temperature. After that, cheeses start to soften faster than people expect. Outdoors depends entirely on the weather — anything above 75° and you’ll want shade and a later set-out time.
If it’s a wooden board, it’s yours to hang onto unless you’d prefer we take it back. If you don’t want to store it, we can bring a disposable base instead.
For morning or brunch events, we adjust the mix so it feels appropriate — usually lighter cheeses, more fruit, pastries if requested, and crackers instead of sliced baguette. Delivery windows can be earlier by request.
Yep. For anything above 30 guests, two or three coordinated boards usually look better and hold up longer than one extra-large board. This also lets guests spread out instead of crowding one spot.
