Charcuterie Board Artist Shares Tips on the Most Successful Spreads Anyone Can Do

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The year 2020 was an unconventional one for everyone. Instead of starting college in the middle of a pandemic, recent high school graduate Emmy Rener decided to embark in a completely different direction by making cheese boards for friends and family. What started as a passion project quickly blossomed into a successful charcuterie business called Sophisticated Spreads.

Based in Los Angeles, Rener started receiving attention for her carefully curated boards when influencers shared some of her work through their social media. Sure enough, her talent for charcuterie became well-known in the area, and she soon launched an official website and Instagram. Now, she creates custom boards and grazing tables for events big and small.

When scrolling through the Sophisticated Spreads' Instagram, it is easy to see why people love Rener's arrangements, which contain a perfect mix of different food items. “My tips for creating a successful charcuterie board is definitely working with a strong color palette, so make sure that all your colors work together and they aren't clashing,” she tells My Modern Met. “Make sure you have a variety of cheeses, like soft cheeses (so Brie), and medium cheeses (like Gouda), and try to highlight seasonal produce. I also like to add edible flowers to my boards, because I think that adds a very fun touch.”

Sure enough, Rener's own boards feature a variety of yummy meats and cheeses, in addition to dried fruits, crackers, pieces of bread, and nuts. But once you have all of the desired ingredients for charcuterie, you need to pay attention to where you place these items. “Make sure that like items never touch each other on a board. So, cheese shouldn't touch cheese, and meat shouldn't touch other meat,” Rener recommends. “Highlighting a variety of different ingredients is really the key to charcuterie.”

You can learn how to order cheese boards by Rener via Sophisticated Spreads' website, and see more beautiful charcuterie by following her on Instagram.

Emmy Rener is the creative force behind LA-based cheese board business Sophisticated Spreads.

sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1

Rener began making cheese boards for friends and family after graduating from high school.

sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1Charcuterie Boards by Sophisticated Spreads

Now, her successful service provides custom cheese boards and grazing tables to events big and small.

sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1

Rener says the key to making a successful cheese board is choosing a variety of ingredients, highlighting seasonal produce, and making sure “like items” aren't touching on the board.

sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1sophisticated-spreads-charcuterie-board-1Sophisticated Spreads: Website | Instagram | TikTok

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Emmy Rener | Sophisticated Spreads.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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