Quarantine times call for quarantine measures. Whether it's going on a picnic date or dropping off a present during a birthday drive-through, here's a perfect item to bring: charcuterie board. It's easy to bring and even more important, delicious to eat!
I got the chance to catch up with The Cheese Board Co.'s owner Lizary Diaz, and how she has built a brand that has become Miami's go-to charcuterie board company.
In your own words, what is The Cheese Board Co.’s origin story?
I would say my company started out of pure passion. I always use to make these elaborate cheese boards for all my family & friend parties. I would always get complimented and told I should sell them. I remember one of my best friends were getting married and asked me to do a grazing table for her bridal shower and I was so excited to make what I envision come to life. After many suggestions that I should start my own company I finally did it & I can honestly say it’s been life changing.
What do you love most about being a mom boss (i.e. you have a business and you’re a mom)?
Honestly, in my personal experience it’s been amazing being a mom boss. I was a stay-at-home mom for my son's first year and as much as a blessing as that was, I always missed working. However, once I went back to work I always felt mom guilt that I didn’t see him as much as I used too. So being my own boss has been an absolute blessing. I get to do what I love and still prioritize my son.
It feels like overnight, I saw your boards all over my feed with the personalized names in brie cheese! What was the inspiration for that?
It really was over night thing, which is crazy to me. The personalization started because I always like putting jams or spread on the brie so I once made a board with a little heart cutout in the middle to fill with jam and after that I started getting requests. I started getting more creative with the personalization until it almost became part of my “brand”.
I think the secret to the perfect charcuterie board is having a little bit of everything. Make sure you get your sweets like fruits, honey and jams with your salty like cheese, meats and nuts. When it comes to my selections I honestly just pick my favorites and put them together.
What is your favorite kind of cheese?
My favorite cheese is manchego. You can never go wrong with it. My favorite pairing is manchego, salami and honey. It’s life changing.
For someone who may not know the difference, can you explain what is the difference between charcuterie boards, grazing tables, and sweet boards?
So charcuterie boards are basically an assortments of meats and cheese with their parings on a board.
Grazing tables is a large variety of assortments, not just cheese and meats. You can add appetizers, sweets and even decor.
A sweet board is a charcuterie board for sweets. You can have all kinds of sweets along with sweet dips as well. My favorite dip I’ve made so far for a sweet board has been a birthday cake dip which I highly recommend!
What has been your favorite board that you’ve put together so far?
This is a hard one because I love all my boards but if I had to pick one it would probably be the Board I made for when I hit 1K on Instagram. Mostly because it meant so much more to me than just making a beautiful board.
Are all boards created equal or is it more that none of your boards look the same? From your page, they’re all so different and beautiful!
So unless someone specifically asked for an exact replica of one of my boards, all of them are different. I always try to keep the selections somewhat the same but the design is always different. It’s always what just comes to me when I’m making the board. Which is something that I love: I love that everyone has a different board. I feel like it makes it more special that way.
Is there a cheese you haven’t worked with yet? Why not?
There are plenty of cheeses I haven’t worked with and the honest truth is if I don’t personally like the cheese, unless it’s a request, I don’t use it. For example, I’m not a huge fan of moldy cheeses like blue cheese so I haven’t used it.
Where would you like to see your business in 1 year? 3 years? 5 years?
In the next year I would like to have a small store front where we have pre-made boards that customers can just pass by and pick up. Three years from now, I would like my business to have contracts with other companies, vendors and locations (hotels & venues) as well. In 5 years, I would love to have at least two locations and have a full website where customers can order anywhere in the US.
Is there a misconception about charcuterie boards you wish you could clear up?
I would say charcuterie isn’t just for adults on a wine night. Charcuterie boards can be a variety of options and can be perfect for any age or occasion.
What can someone ordering from The Cheese Board Co. for the first time expect?
If you’re a cheese lover you’re in for a treat. You can expect a delicious, personalized board with an array of flavors and textures that are very pleasing.
Has there been a moment, a customer, or an event where you felt really happy that you were doing this as a business?
I feel like that almost all the time. Every time a customer reaches out to tell me how much they or the person they were celebrating loved the board it makes me so happy. I’ve had returning customers that have come to pick up just to tell me how much they enjoyed their last board and that makes me love this that much more. It’s also made me very happy to be able to donate boards, especially in time like these.
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