How to Build a Charcuterie Board with Australian Artisan Salami
A great charcuterie board isn't complicated — it's just built with intention. Good cured meat at the centre, a few smart pairings around it, and enough variety that every guest finds a favourite. Here's exactly how we'd build one, from the people who make the salami.
Step 1: Start with the Salami (the 3-Variety Rule)
The easiest formula: one mild, one medium, one bold or unusual.
- Mild — Danish Salami (gently smoked, zero chilli, gluten-free) or Traditional Veneto. These are the crowd-pleasers everyone reaches for first.
- Medium — Calabrese (gentle chilli warmth) or Fennel & Garlic. Enough character to be interesting, balanced enough to share.
- Bold or unusual — The Godfather Pepperoni for heat lovers, or go conversation-starter with Kangaroo & Red Wine, Duck & Juniper, or Black Summer Truffle & Pork.
Three varieties covers a board for 4–8 people. Hosting more? Add a fourth — something from the game range gets people talking. Browse the full range here.
Step 2: How Much Salami Per Person?
- Grazing before dinner: 60–90g of cured meat per person
- The board IS dinner: 150–200g per person, plus generous cheese and bread
As a guide, our salamis are 200–400g each, so three salamis comfortably feeds 6–10 people as a starter.
Step 3: Add Cheese, Crunch and Colour
Around the salami, aim for contrast:
- Cheese — one soft (brie, creamy blue), one hard (aged cheddar, pecorino). Two is plenty.
- Crunch — crusty baguette, artisan crackers, and pork crackle for a salty, snappy contrast that works ridiculously well next to cured meat. A pack of beef jerky adds a smoky chew.
- Colour & acid — olives, cornichons, dried figs or apricots, a handful of nuts, seasonal fruit.
- Something sweet — quince paste or honey bridges cheese and salami beautifully.
Step 4: Assemble in Five Minutes
- Place cheeses at opposite corners of the board.
- Fold or fan the salami slices in ribbons between them — don't lay them flat.
- Fill the big gaps with bread and crackers.
- Tuck olives, fruit and nuts into the remaining spaces — small bowls stop brine going everywhere.
- Slice one salami and leave the rest whole with a knife on the board. It looks generous, and it stays fresher longer.
Tip: serve salami at room temperature — take it out 15–20 minutes before guests arrive. The flavour opens right up.
Christmas & Special-Occasion Boards
From September onwards, boards get bigger and better. For festive boards, weight your selection toward gift-worthy varieties — truffle, game meats, and the classics — or start from a ready-made bundle and add fresh extras on the day.
The Shortcut: Bundles
If choosing feels like homework, we've done it for you:
- Mix & match any 4 salamis — save 10%. Any 6 — save 15%. Automatic, no codes. Bundle & save here.
- Or grab a curated bundle like the Gold Medal Salami Bundle or Wild Salami Bundle and your board's centrepiece is sorted.
Every salami is handmade in small batches from free-range meat, naturally cured, and delivered Australia-wide.
