Appetites: The art of charcuterie gets a boost from Instagram

Kelsey Basset, the creative behind The Board Loon, used food to bring people together virtually during the pandemic.

a long dinner table with plates of charcuterie
The results of one of Basset's charcuterie board workshops.
Courtesy of Kelsey Basset

Kelsey Basset has always loved making charcuterie boards, and after enough encouragement from friends and family, she decided to launch The Board Loon and sell her creations online. Then the pandemic hit and, like many entrepreneurs, Basset was forced to take her business online.

With over 40,000 followers, Basset’s Instagram account @theboardloon has been instrumental in helping her grow her business through virtual workshops she hosts online.

These are the five steps Basset uses to create her charcuterie boards:

  1. Place the largest items first, working down to the smallest

  2. Add the cheese

  3. Follow with the meat

  4. Add the fruit and fillers

  5. Garnish!

One rule she tries to follow with every board is having a cheese from all three milk sources — cow, sheep and goat. It helps ensure there is something to match everyone’s preferences, she said.

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