There are hobbies, and then there’s Margaret Scott’s love of charcuterie. Scott has been creating charcuterie for about three years, an interest she says “has become a delightful passion of mine.”
Inspiration struck when Scott threw a party for her husband’s coworkers. “I watched the catering company I hired make an impressive spread. The creativity and variety fascinated me, and I wanted to bring that joy to my own gatherings,” she says.
Self-taught, Scott learned to compose charcuterie through online tutorials, cookbooks, and experimenting in her own kitchen.
Watching videos and reading articles helped her understand the basics and gave her the confidence to begin trying different food com- combinations, but one particular Thanksgiving turned her hobby on its head.
“My husband and I have 10 children, and I wanted to change things up for Thanksgiving, so I decided to prepare a charcuterie in lieu of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The family loved it, so now our Thanksgiving dinners are charcuterie boards. It turned out to be a delightful surprise!” she says. “The first one I made for the family covered my whole island. It was so big, I ended up sending food home with everyone and had enough food to last us two weeks.”
Now, she crafts charcuterie for gatherings about once or twice a month, often making smaller ones for family dinners or special occasions.
Make no mistake: This hobby is far from casual, involving hours of planning, shopping, and food preparation before the arranging even begins — Scott estimates each charcuterie display contains 8-15 pounds of meats, cheeses, crackers, breads, fruits, and vegetables, depending on the number of guests. Then, there’s an additional 1-3 hours to set up a display. Scott typically preps all food at home and completes arrangements at the destination. Her pricing for events depends on the board’s types of food and decorations. Her daughters Amanda Southworth and Angela Joensson help with arrangements, with Scott calling it “a fun activity to do together.”
Word has gotten around. Scott’s charcuterie has fed guests at weddings, family gatherings, birthday parties, baby and bridal showers, and business lunches.
“I’ve been surprised by how much people appreciate the effort!” she says. “It’s rewarding to see others enjoy the creations and the conversations they spark.”
