Celebrating with Charcuterie
Traditional Charcuterie is true food craftsmanship, the art of turning preserved food into items of beauty and taste.
Vancouver Island Charcuterie Trail
What is the perfect thing to serve at your next event, whether it be a work gathering, Christmas party, family game night, or hockey on TV? The answer is a simple but beautiful charcuterie board, filled with an assortment of cured meats tucked beside cheese, crackers, pickles and spiced jellies. Charcuterie boards present beautifully and are always a crowd-pleaser, as the assortment of tastes provided on the boards ensure there is something for everyone.
Not sure where to start your shopping? We've rounded up a list of shops on the Island that carry the essentials of a great charcuterie board.
The following specialty shops have chosen to specialize in charcuterie, many of them using using traditional techniques for curing meat.
Charcuterie Shops
Picnic Charcuterie - Tofino
McLean's Specialty Foods - Nanaimo
Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese - Cobble Hill
Four Quarter Meats - Sidney
Choux Choux Charcuterie - Victoria
Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria - VIctoria
The Hungry Hummingbird - Victoria
But you don't have to restrict yourself to charcuterie-only shops; there are so many amazing butchers and cheese makers across the Island!
Butcher Shops
Smith & Lee Local Butcher - Campbell River
Gunter Bros Meat Co. - Courtenay
Butcher’s Block - Courtenay
Meat Craft Urban Butcher - Nanaimo
Double R Meats - Port Alberni
Black Market Meats - Sooke
Pete's Mountain Meats & Sausage Factory - Port Alberni
Photo 1: Cheese courtesy of Natural Pastures Cheese.
Photo 2: Products from Picnic Charcuterie.
Cheese Shops
Natural Pastures - Courtenay
BoMe Cheese - Coombs
Little Qualicum Cheeseworks - Parksville
Haltwhistle Cheese Company - Duncan
Charelli’s - Victoria
The Farmer's Daughter - Victoria
Ottavio Italian Bakery and Delicatessen - Victoria
And there's always the option to create a charcuterie board that has plant-based features as well, and these Island shops are great places to find meatless choices.
Meatless Options
Salt Spring Harvest Kitchen - Salt Spring Island
The Very Good Butchers - Victoria
Looking for more information on charcuterie? Pick up a copy of our winter issue to read our article all about charcuterie.
And if you know of other charcuterie, butcher or cheese shops we should add to this trail, send us a note at editor@ediblevancouverisland.com.
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