Charcuterie, a board of prepared meats, cheeses and other snacks, literally translates to “cooked flesh” in French.
The appetizer trend became popular around 2010 thanks to social media and while it’s been around 15 years, Cathy Hearn Schroeder is putting the cute into charcuterie with every board she makes.
Hearn Schroeder is the woman behind Northern Charcuterie and Grazing Company in Val Caron.
“It all started in July 2023 with a baby shower for my daughter,” Hearn Schroeder said. “Everyone was impressed with my display and I’ve always loved feeding people, so my sisters recommended I start my own business.”
Hearn Schroeder really wanted to capitalize on the word “northern” in her namesake and with that she hit the ground running, one rustic board at a time.
Following the three-three-three rule for charcuterie, she blends an offering of cheeses, meats and starches and fruits. She also serves up local honey, red pepper jelly and her homemade olive tapenade that people recommend she sell separately in containers.
Her daughter often helps with orders and the folding of the salami roses and rivers that give each board a more northern feel, along with the cedar bough and raffia ribbon finishing touches.
Hearn Schroeder said she usually uses customer favourites when it comes to cheese, with her tastes straying to finely sliced Manchego in triangles, Boursin, Havarti and smoked cheddar.
She said some cheeses and meats are purchased locally while others are shipped from l'Española, a shop in Montreal. She also likes to dress boards up with pops of natural colour from fruits like blackberries, strawberries, pink grapefruit, grapes or dragon fruit.
While order numbers vary from week to week, Hearn Schroeder has added date night boxes, graze tables for parties and weddings to her list of offerings.
“The general feedback is always that there is way too much food and that the organizers should have packed baggies,” Hearn Schroeder said.
She’s now offering savoury ’smores snack boxes for the summer with baby brie, crackers, local honey, smoked red pepper jelly and genoa salami.
By day, Hearn Schroeder is a training co-ordinator with Northern 911, a job she has held for the past 26 years. She’s raised three kids and food board art is her side hustle.
This charcuterie master said she is known for her grazing table spreads at staff functions and in the company fridge.
“I always keep prepared graze boxes in the fridge for people who forget their lunch by accident or on purpose,” she said.
Those interested in graze boxes and graze tables, can find Northern Charcuterie and Grazing Company online on Instagram and Facebook. The company is situated in Val Caron at Cathy Hearn Schroeder’s home.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.