British cured meats, salami and charcuterie – selected for sharing, slicing and serving alongside really good cheese.
Good charcuterie doesn't need much doing to it.
A few slices of properly cured meat, some good cheese, bread, perhaps a handful of olives or cornichons and you've got the makings of something rather special.
Our Charcuterie collection brings together carefully selected cured meats from British artisan producers, from traditional salami and saucisson to whole-muscle cured meats such as Lomo, Coppa and Bresaola.
Some take their inspiration from the great charcuterie traditions of Italy, France and Spain, but increasingly they're being made here in Britain using excellent British meat.
Whether you're building a complete cheese and charcuterie board, looking for something for a grazing platter or simply want a really good salami in the fridge, this is where to start.
What is charcuterie?
Charcuterie is the craft of preparing and preserving meat using techniques including curing, salting, fermentation, smoking and air-drying.
The term has its origins in France, but the collection of cured meats we now commonly call charcuterie encompasses traditions from across Europe and beyond.
That means charcuterie isn't one particular type of meat. It can include everything from salami and saucisson to thinly sliced whole-muscle cured meats.
What's the difference between salami and charcuterie?
Charcuterie is the broader category; salami is one type of charcuterie.
Salami is generally made from minced meat and fat combined with seasonings before being fermented, cured and matured.
Other charcuterie can be made from whole cuts of meat. Lomo, for example, uses pork loin, while Coppa is made from pork collar and Bresaola is traditionally made from beef.
Different cuts, seasonings and curing techniques produce remarkably different flavours and textures.
British charcuterie
Britain has excellent meat and a growing reputation for producing excellent charcuterie to go with it.
British charcutiers have taken knowledge and inspiration from the established curing traditions of countries such as Italy, France and Spain and combined them with British-reared pork, beef, venison and other meats.
Our collection currently includes charcuterie from Cobble Lane Cured in Islington, North London, whose team combines British butchery with experience gained from European charcuterie traditions.
As we discover other charcuterie producers whose products deserve a place on our counter, you'll find them here too.
What charcuterie should I choose?
That depends on what you enjoy.
If you like classic, savoury flavours, start with a traditional Saucisson.
For something aromatic, try a Fennel & Garlic Salami.
Prefer some heat? Look towards Pepperoni or chilli-spiced salami.
For something leaner and quite different from salami, try whole-muscle charcuterie such as Lomo or Bresaola.
And if you can't decide, a mixed charcuterie platter lets you try several different styles together.
What cheese goes with charcuterie?
Now you're talking our language.
Cheese and charcuterie work particularly well together because you can combine contrasting flavours and textures across a single board.
Try mature Cheddar with robust salami, creamy soft cheese with something spicy, a nutty hard or Alpine-style cheese with Lomo or Coppa, and blue cheese alongside richer cured meats.
There aren't rigid rules. A good cheese and charcuterie board is about creating contrast – mild and strong, creamy and firm, rich and acidic.
And with 80+ cheeses on our counter, this is one area where we're very happy to help.
How much charcuterie do I need per person?
If charcuterie is part of a larger cheese and grazing board, you don't need enormous quantities of each meat. The idea is to offer variety rather than large portions.
If charcuterie is the main event, allow more per person and add bread, pickles, olives and other accompaniments.
Mixed selections are particularly useful when entertaining because they provide several flavours and textures without requiring you to buy a full pack of every individual style.
How do you serve charcuterie?
Most charcuterie is at its best when it isn't served fridge-cold.
Take it from the refrigerator before serving and allow it to come towards room temperature. This helps soften the texture and allows more of its aroma and flavour to emerge.
Then keep things simple:
- Two or three different cured meats
- Two or three contrasting cheeses
- Good bread or crackers
- Olives or cornichons
- Chutney, mustard or something fruity
- Something good to drink
That's really all a good charcuterie board needs.
Charcuterie selected by The Norfolk Deli
We don't want hundreds of cured meats simply for the sake of having hundreds of cured meats.
We'd rather choose producers and products that bring something worthwhile to the counter – good meat, proper curing, interesting flavours and producers who understand their craft.
Our charcuterie collection will continue to evolve as we discover products we think are worth eating.
Why buy charcuterie from The Norfolk Deli?
Because we don't see charcuterie in isolation.
We're a delicatessen with a serious interest in cheese, chutneys, crackers, pickles, beer, wine and all the other things that can turn a packet of excellent cured meat into a proper deli spread.
So whether you're buying one salami or building an entire cheese and charcuterie board, you can find everything to go alongside it in one place.
Good meat. Good cheese. Good bread. That's a pretty decent place to start.
