PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — Charcuterie is a word that a few years ago most people had never even heard of.
But, over the last few years, that has quickly changed.
Scroll through Instagram or Pinterest over the holiday season and you will be inundated with pictures of meat and cheese boards, each one looking fancier than the next.
It is part of a growing trend that has spawned some new business opportunities and ushered in a new era for some long-established cheese retailers.
On any given day, Emily Jacobs can be found working in a small commercial kitchen in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. arranging cheddar cheese and vegetables into creative designs. Jacobs owns Fancy Snacks Charcuterie, a business she started a year ago dedicated to creating cheese and meat boards. Jacobs said she has managed to take advantage of the increased demand for charcuterie.
“Over the past six to nine months, I would say it has just exploded to where I am looking at hiring people because I can’t keep up with how many orders are coming in on a daily basis, ” said Jacobs.
Jacobs produces about 40 to 50 cheese boards on a busy week. She added that social media is a major factor behind the increase in popularity.
“About 90% of my orders come from Facebook and Instagram, so there is a whole charcuterie community on Facebook,” said Jacobs.
For existing businesses, charcuterie has played an important role as well. It is true at the iconic Mars Cheese Castle off I-94 in Kenosha County. General Manager Michael Ventura said over the past year he has noticed a significant increase in the number of people requesting highly-specific products after seeing them on social media.
“Whether its Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, customers will come in, show us a picture on their phone, and say here is what I am looking for,” added Ventura.
Ventura said he hopes the charcuterie trend is here to stay, as it has proven good for business especially during the holiday season.