Coordinating corporate and club events takes monumental effort. Like the old maxim says, the devil is in the details. As an event planner, you want everything to come together in the right place at the right time.

One of the most critical details is the food, whether you are expecting 10 or 100 or 500 guests. You can make your planning easier by serving charcuterie platters at your next event.

Event Planning with a Canadian made Charcuterie Board

What Is Charcuterie?

It’s a fact, people love salt and fat. Give them what they want with a charcuterie board. It includes a range of meats and other nibbles, including:

• pates
• prosciutto
• terrines
• cheese
• salumi
• sausage

These foods can be served at room temperature and require minimal prep time. The taste and texture works for a range of palates, from sophisticated to plain.

Advice from the Experts: Simplify!

New to event planning? Did your boss dump it on your lap unexpectedly? Trying to plan a wedding reception? Were you suddenly appointed as a committee of one to plan the next club party?

It’s a big job, but you can pull it off. And the best way to insure success is to remember what experienced planners recommend–keep it simple.

That’s why many professional event planners rely on charcuterie boards to keep people supplied with food and happy at parties, receptions and networking events.

Charcuterie boards have three big advantages for event planning:

• you need to spend little time preparing the boards
• people of all tastes love the food
• the food can be served at room temperature, so you don’t have to worry about refrigerator space

What Do I Include?

Traditionally the emphasis was on pork meat, but charcuterie boards now encompass all types of meats, cheeses and even breads.

Seasoned event planners recommend that you include three meats on a platter. Pork still has a central role to play. Experts suggest that you start with a cooked sausage, add a dry-cured sausage and a dry-cured meat. If there is room, you can add a fourth like a duck pate or bresaola.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you want to add jerky or turkey or ham, go ahead. It’s nice to put a card with the name of the meat on it if it is uncommon and hard for partygoers to identify.

Next comes the cheese. Try for four or five. A good mix includes:

• fresh cheese like burrata
• soft-ripened like brie
• semi-soft like havarti
• firm like provolone
• hard like parmigiano reggiano
• veined like gorgonzola

Choose a bread with a soft center like an artisan loaf or a ciabatta. To simplify even further, use crackers instead. Buy a variety at the grocery store. They last for a long time and can be stored in the pantry.

The meat, cheese and bread are the foundation of your charcuterie board. You can round it out with pickled vegetables like onions, peppers or zucchini. Include fruit and nuts for texture and variety.

How Do I Serve It?

A wood charcuterie board is the best way to serve these nibbles. Wood is solid and stable, making it easy for people to help themselves without difficulty.

Any type of wood cutting board can be put into service, though you can buy specially made charcuterie boards. The rule of thumb is one board for every five to seven people.

Save money on your boards by buying them in quantity. Wholesale Cutting Boards offers them in lots of 25 or more at wholesale prices. Purchasing this way assures you of the lowest possible price. You also don’t have to worry about running out just before your next big event.

Wholesale Cutting Boards offers laser engraving for their wood charcuterie boards. This makes them an excellent marketing tool or momento of a special event. If you need a custom look or size, the design team can create it for you.

Call or email Wholesale Cutting Boards for a free, no-obligation quote and to get answers to your questions.