#charcuterie

#charcuterie

London's dining scene has always been big on provenance, but a new breed of restaurants is taking things even further by curing, smoking, and ageing their own meats in-house. Curing and crafting in-house isn't just about chasing flavour, it allows chefs to control the quality of their product, reduce waste, and celebrate nose-to-tail cooking. From silky slices of coppa and spicy nduja to rich pâtés and terrines, these spots are cutting, curing, and serving up some of the city's best hand-made charcuterie.

A sweet bite here, a salty nibble there; glimpses of a tangy lightness only cheese can offer. That's usually what you get with charcuterie boards. As hard as it is to admit, there comes a time when even those flavors grow overly familiar once the ingredient combinations blur into one another. When you're hosting your own holiday party or get-together, consider introducing a completely new element, something intriguing and different enough to carve a pathway through that repetitive monotony.

Summer is the season for snacking, picnic dinners, and endless charcuterie boards shared between friends. The long, sultry days were made for lounging and grazing charcuterie boards from late afternoon well past the sunset. All good charcuterie boards are built from a foundation of good cheese. And while the beauty of a charcuterie board is that you can customize it to whatever you want it to be, there are a handful of cheeses that are particularly well-suited for your summer snack sesh.

"Cerignola green olives, taralli crackers, an amazing jam, and endless cheeses and meats are must-haves," she reveals. "I always keep my pantry stocked to make an amazing board."