Local charcuterie board company brings flavor to the table.
IT’S A TREND that’s been sweeping both coasts and taking Instagram by storm: stunning charcuterie boards filled with premium cuts of meat like prosciutto and capocollo, hand rolled and surrounded by blueberry goat cheese, brie, hummus, multi-grain crackers, fresh grapes and chocolate-covered strawberries.
Thanks to Board & You, these mouth-watering plates are now available right here in Kentuckiana.
What started as a friendly “charcuterie off” competition between founder Sean Lara and a co-worker – who both claimed to make the best charcuterie boards for their families – turned into a fully blown business concept.
And the competition?
No two boards are alike, and each is a sensory smorgasbord designed to please both the eyes and taste buds.
“Both Sean and I are extremely competitive, so we did our research and Sean’s from San Diego and he’s very familiar with charcuterie because it’s very popular on the West Coast, the Northeast (and) some areas in Texas,” Flanagan says. “We put together this awesome board, and it looked so, so good for Easter and brought it to my mom’s side of the family. Both of my parents are one of five, so any event is no small occasion whatsoever.”
Everyone crowded around what Lara describes as “a huge spread” – and Flanagan’s grandmother gets a shout out for telling the pair to put the charcuterie board on social media.
“It became the centerpiece of the party,” Lara says. “Everyone was so amazed by it, and Zack kind of looked at me and said ‘I think we have something. I think this definitely is something we can make something out of.’”
With some quick research, they created Board & You as a fully formed business model. At first, Flanagan and Lara found their customers on Instagram and Facebook. They took orders for custom charcuterie boards filled with cornichons, nuts, rare meats and cheeses, fruit, candies, crackers, cookies and other delectable treats they could source locally or from vendors.
“One thing that we found during our research is yeah, there’s a lot of variety out there, but some lacked presentation and color.
– ZACK FLANAGAN
Lara and Flanagan built a web site and now create small boards for anywhere from two people up to entire tables full of creatively-designed catering goods for businesses and large gatherings.
The duo are graduates of the University of Louisville, where Lara served as cheerleader for five years and studied exercise physiology and Flanagan chose marketing as his course of study. They met almost three years ago and hit it off immediately.
“I would say the most popular cheeses that we have are our Merlot BellaVitano, our blueberry goat cheese, and the Saint-André triple cream Brie, which pairs amazingly with everything, either savory or sweet,” Lara says. “I’d definitely say those are the top three favorites.
Products are now sourced from large meat and cheese distributors, with some serving as staples and others as limited-time offerings.
“When you think of charcuterie, it’s a big, gorgeous platter of food,” Flanagan says. “One thing that we found during our research is yeah, there’s a lot of variety out there, but some lacked presentation and color. I think Sean kind of found his way with incorporating so many different colors into these boards just to make them really, really eye-popping and inviting to the guests that are grazing on them. I think that’s what helped set us apart in the beginning.”
They’re hoping to hire another staff member around February. “We’ve even had people ask if we can do something on Christmas Day, and we’re definitely not opposed to it. It’s just crazy to think that we’ve created something that’s so desirable.”
BOARD & YOU
@boardandyou
boardandyou@gmail.com
