Boarderie’s Charcuterie Boards Have Been a Hit with Oprah and ‘Shark Tank,’ But Are They Worth $129+?

Here’s what you get—and just how massive these boards are

Author image: Candace Davison, PureWow executive editor

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Published Nov 7, 2023

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Boarderie

Value: 17/20
Quality: 20/20
Flavor: 19/20
Presentation: 18/20
Shipping: 20/20

TOTAL: 94/100

Who doesn’t love a good charcuterie board? You, when it’s T-minus two hours before a party and you’re scrambling to pick up all the meat, cheese and dried nuts you can—when the grocery store happens to be a madhouse. Or you have to hit up four stores just to find the range of accoutrements you wanted to provide (where’s that blueberry vanilla goat cheese?!).

That’s what intrigued us about Boarderie, a company that ships fully arranged, chilled charcuterie and cheese boards straight to your door. They’ve snagged a deal on Shark Tank and were featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, but even with free shipping, the thought of dropping $129 or more on a meat and cheese board may be off-putting to some. What foods are you getting? Is there enough of each—and is the quality high enough—to justify the price tag? We vote yes, and here’s why.

How We Tested the Boarderie Charcuterie Board:

We know taste is subjective, so we invited 15+ editors to sample a large charcuterie board (which retails for $239). We had them weigh in on presentation, the quality of ingredients, flavor, variety, ease of setup and perceived value, averaging their responses to achieve our PureWow100 score.

What Are Boarderie Charcuterie Boards?

They’re expert-curated charcuterie and cheese boards, available in a few sizes: small (serving 2 to 3 people), medium (4 to 5) and large (9 to 10). They also offer a baked brie board, featuring four flavor combinations, customizable birthday boards (which include candles and cheese cut to the recipient’s age) and a deluxe feast that serves 11 to 13 people, including pretty much everything you’d get in a large board, plus three ready-to-bake brie en croute pastries.

How the board arrived. PHOTO: Candace Davison

How Does Boarderie Ship Its Charcuterie Boards?

Placing an order is easy. You can select a delivery date up to 365 days in advance, and the boards are made fresh daily and shipped overnight nationwide. The board arrived shrink-wrapped and chilled, virtually damage-free. (Even the crackers were unscathed, something we can’t say of most deliveries we receive.)

What’s Included in a Boarderie Charcuterie Board?

OK, the size and variety of snacks blew us away. We selected the Large Boarderie Arte Cheese & Charcuterie Board, and in it, you receive 70 ounces of cheese, meat and other treats (such as dried mango and apricots, chocolate-covered espresso beans and everything cashews), totaling 35 different items to mix and match. It also comes with three full-size boxes of crackers (rosemary and olive oil, tart cherry and cacao, and everything spiced ones), as well as bamboo cutlery for serving everything and an Acacia wood serving board to house it all. Everything arrived chilled and shrink-wrapped in plastic in little serving boats, so all we had to do was open and arrange.

Specifically, ours included*:

Cheese: morbier, cranberry chipotle cheddar, caraway cheddar, BellaVitano Espresso, Blueberry Wensleydale, apple smoked cheddar, fig goat cheese and rose petals, blueberry vanilla goat cheese, pecorino al vino (a salty, hard cheese with strong wine notes), mobay (sheep and goat milk cheeses, separated by a thin layer of grape vine ash), sage derby, truffle moliterno (a buttery Italian cheese) and Madagascar bourbon vanilla cheddar
Meat: black truffle salami, peppered salami, Italian Bresaola, salami picante
Fruit & Veg: dried strawberries, apricots, mango, tangerines and Turkish figs; pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes and Thai crystallized ginger
Nuts: Marcona almonds, sesame almonds, everything cashews, candied pecans, Dijon pistachios
Other Spreads & Snacks: fig and orange marmalade, tangerine and chili-marinated olives, espresso bean mix, prosecco cordials, three types of crackers

*Boarderie says these items may change, based on availability.

an unboxed look at the boarderie large arte board with cheese, meats, nuts and treats all prearranged

Candace Davison

Our Boarderie Charcuterie Board Review

What We Love

Wide range of high-quality ingredients
Painless for busy hostesses because it comes pre-assembled
You get the keep (or gift) the serving board

What We Don't Love

Expensive
Some may prefer larger portions of fewer ingredients than small portions of many ingredients
You may want to reassemble some of the ingredients so the board looks more homemade

The following are our favorite things about our Boarderie spread:

The Range of Flavors — Most boards stick to three to four types of meat and cheese, with a handful of accompaniments. With 35 options to choose from (including 13 types of cheese), there was something for every palate, and it got people out of their comfort zones, serving as its own ice breaker: Whoa, what do you think of that swicy kick from the cranberry chipotle cheddar? Ooh, have you tried the black truffle salami on a rosemary cracker with fig and orange marmalade?!
The Quality of Ingredients — The co-COO is a cheesemonger, and it shows. Everything on the board was top notch, following the classic mix of hard and soft cheeses in a range of flavors (sweet, salty, tangy). The only thing we missed? A little more funk—bring on the bleu cheese!
The Convenience — It doesn’t get easier than picking up a box from your stoop, putting it in the fridge until party time, and unwrapping the snacks.
The Acacia Wood Tray — The serving board is sleek, solid and sturdy, doubling as a gift afterward.

As for the cons...

The Cost — While the idea of shelling out $129 or more on an appetizer feels over the top, when we tallied what it’d cost to buy similar foods and spreads individually—and factored in the cost of overnight shipping—it does seem reasonable. Still, it can be more of an investment than you’re willing to make for a party, especially when there are so many other costs to consider.
The Arrangement — Some editors said they’d prefer fewer options overall, with larger portions of each cheese, meat and accompaniment. A few also noted that it’s worth taking the time to remove some of the meat and cheese from their designated containers, so it feels less gift basket-y and more homemade.

the boarderie charcuterie board, all set up and ready to serve to guests

Candace Davison

Is Boarderie Worth It?

If you want a showstopping charcuterie board without having to shop for and arrange it yourself, this is an excellent shortcut. It makes for a thoughtful housewarming, bereavement or celebratory gift too, particularly if you’re miles away from the giftee.

BUY IT (STARTING AT $129)

Why You Should Trust Us

PureWow is the best friend you never had when it comes to finding the best, most useful lifestyle products online. Founded in 2010, our company’s editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which ones are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series, which sees each and every item we test being ranked on a 100-point scale of awesomeness, to the painstakingly curated lists our fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family editors create as vertical experts, you can trust that our recommendations include some of the greatest items you’ll find on the internet. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.

Candace Davison

VP of editorial content

Oversees home, food and commerce articles
Author of two cookbooks and has contributed recipes to three others
Named one of 2023's Outstanding Young Alumni at the University of South Florida, where she studied mass communications and business

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