Charcuterie Girls Night Out

The Spread

The Spread opened its doors in December of 2022. They do all things charcuterie including selling boxes and boards, and hosting charcuterie classes. They also do event planning and decorating, grazing boards and tables, and a whole lot more. However, our girls night out to their themed classes has become a fun occasion I look forward to each month. Here are the workshops we’ve attended and what’s stood out to me in each one…

The Workshops

Each class begins with a small reception of small bites and themed drinks. We’re given maybe 15 or 20 minutes to enjoy and find our way to our tables before the instruction begins. This portion is really nice because we’re less tempted to nibble the ingredients for our boards and it’s fun to see the creative recipes and displays they come up with.

During each workshop, we learn two or three new techniques for preparing and presenting the different cheeses, meats, and fruit. There has been a great variety of each type of food from class to class and the choices compliment each other well.

After we’ve prepared the items, the ladies come around to collect our slates and knives. Then we are given the disposable boards we assemble and take home. We’re encouraged to place the larger items first and then fill in the smaller details. Afterwards, we’re given a box to put our boards in.

Sometimes, there are trivia questions or different contests and prize winners. Almost always, we take a group picture.

Overall, the classes are very enjoyable. It’s nice to spend time with girlfriends and the techniques are always a great reminder not to take things too seriously (especially the trivial stuff).

Hocus Pocus

The first class we attended was in October of 2023. We were immediately enthralled by the decorations, costumes, and themed food and drinks. They even put a spout in a carved pumpkin and served Prosecco punch.

We learned how to fold the different meats and which cheeses crumble the best. We learned how to carve with pairing knives and had a blast answering the Hocus Pocus trivia questions (I won!).

Winter Solstice

This cozy themed workshop was fun and unexpected. We were a little surprised when we didn’t have a picture to follow. We were challenged with building our own Christmas tree presentations. Even during the preparation of the different cheeses and meats, we were given different variations. It was neat to see how different everyone’s board turned out. Tineke won the prettiest tree contest.

This was the first class we learned we could slice round fruits in the zig zag pattern. We also enjoyed the hot crackers and cranberry cheeses.

Galentine’s Day

This was another fun class. We learned how to make meat roses - a small one stuffed into a jalapeno and another using a champagne flute made out of salami. (To this day, we text meat roses we find online to each other.) We also attempted to make hearts and roses by strategically and creatively cutting strawberries. My strawberry definitely turned into a bit of a puree when I attempted too many cuts. We even made little rosettes out of provolone.

This is the class that got me hooked on the lunchbox peppers, creamcheese balls, and everything bagel seasoning. I’ve even taken some to school for a snack.

Hoppy Hour

This workshop was probably the most creative uses of cheese. We cut gouda and stuck them into Babybel cheese wheels to make little Easter bunnies. We spread cream cheese into lunchbox peppers, sliced blueberry cheddar and brie. We made a car out of a Twinkie (I had no idea they were making these again) and put a Peep inside with a chocolate covered pretzel to steer it. We even made little Easter eggs by putting different colored grapes together after cutting them in the zig zag pattern. We also used skewers with adorable themed figures.

Soccuterie Moms Night Out

In April, we booked our first private event with The Spread. Setting up the event was super easy. There is a minimum of 8 guests and maximum of 22 people. Once you pick the date and time, the ladies set it up on their website and send a private link.

We loved having the whole place to ourselves. We also enjoyed the instruction. We learned a different technique for making a chain of pepperoni and worked with new fruits, a kiwi and orange.

Master Cheese Class

Life got busy real fast this summer, so our group missed the June event. However, we’re making up for it in July with not one, but TWO new classes. The first was their Master Cheese class that featured no meat and focused solely on different ways to cut the cheese (all the puns). This was perfect because it’s where I felt I struggled most when making my own boards at home.

The class featured a Tennessee whiskey cheese made in Wisconsin, an Italian cheese with olives and wine, a spinach and artichoke gouda, a manchengo, and several others. This was the first class that we used a wire cutter. I would definitely have not made a skilled surgeon. Renee also shared facts about each cheese, including where and how long most are produced, as well as what beverages or snacks would pair well with it.

The ladies began and ended the class with a Guess the Cheese quiz. Tineke won a beautiful board with additional cheese puns carved into it. Overall, it was a great night and we can’t wait for the next class.

Charcuterie & Paint

This event was hosted in partnership with Heather Pastor of One by One Designs. The class started a little differently. We came in, picked our glassware, selected a design to paint, and then grazed a little. After everyone got settled, Renee and Sandra walked us through the miniature charcuterie folds and cuts. The board was adorable. I think it’s made of bamboo, is reusable, and fits most glassware.

After we had our boards assembled and the cutting boards and knives were cleared away, we took our glasses and designs up to Heather to receive our paint. She shared tips and techniques for painting on glass. One was that we needed to allow the paint to dry between layers and to build at least 3 - 4 layers of paint. Glass was a fun medium because mistakes could easily be scratched off when dry. Toothpicks were also available for intricate details.

This was the most enthusiastic group. A birthday was celebrated and the laughter was endless.

At Home

Here are some boards I made at home.

It’s Your Turn

If you’re local to Volusia County, Florida and are thinking about participating in one of these workshops, definitely do it! Classes are limited to 22, so they fill up quickly. Here’s the link with their upcoming workshops. Make sure to let Renee, Sandra, and Jen know we sent you. They know us as the Port Orange soccer moms.