Most of us at Arth Group are staying home this New Year’s Eve, but according to a Wilmington tablescape designer, your table can still inspire.
We’re building a charcuterie board, pairing it with wine and staying home all warm and cozy.
Heda Waldrep, the owner of Heda The Table, has mastered the art of creating Instagram-worthy charcuterie boards. As a tablescape designer, she specializes in helping clients sort through their inventory of platters, vases, place settings, and more. Designing the perfect tables for dinner parties and gatherings. These days she is even offering virtual consultations for all those smaller gatherings in people’s homes.
We asked her to share some tips for us on how to pull off the picture-perfect charcuterie board and design a perfect table. Plus below we share a few of our favorite local businesses offering charcuterie to-go.
Heda’s Top Tips:
Charcuterie boards are the first place to start if you are intimidated about hosting or cooking for a gathering. Heda said they are simple, take little time, and require just some planning and shopping.
1. Select Ingredients
First, select some cheeses. Heda said she generally tries to use hard cheese, semi-soft cheese, and soft cheese on each platter. Then she grabs at least two varieties of crackers, some nuts, and maybe two types of meat (she suggests pepperoni and salami). Next, she places the cheeses and meats in different sections, dividing them with crackers, nuts, or dried apricots.
“I promise you cannot go wrong putting together a cheese board,” she said.
2. No Special Boards Required
Heda says to not fret or fear if you do not have a special board for cheese.
“You could use a plate, a tray, a favorite platter — don’t be afraid to make it different,” said Heda. “Sometimes I even use a pretty wooden cake stand to place the cheese on, including a doily. There are all kinds of ways to do charcuterie it will make you and your guests feel special just that you took the time to arrange something.”
3. Create the Perfect Setting
After creating a charcuterie board and pairing some wines with the cheeses (she is certified in wine pairing), she likes to create the perfect table setting. To do this, she says she does a “table and food pairing.” Considering the menu, she then schemes up what table would work. Tacos? She uses bright colors from Mexico. Chinese fare? She finds ways to make her table reflect that cuisine. She suggests mixing tapered candles and votives. Then layer the table with placemats, chargers (those oversized plates) with plates on top, and salad plates.
Heda says, “the placemats, and the settings, they don’t have to match perfectly, just fit into the same color scheme.”
4. Invoke and Create Memories
Heda’s entire business started when she wanted to create memories for her daughters. As a military family, they moved often and she said she could make something a constant in their lives — sitting down for a family meal. They each had a wooden napkin ring. Every night they set the table with them. Today she recommends adding little memories to your table. Perhaps memories from 2020 or items collected while traveling. All those things tell a story.
“Everyone has a story and sharing stories is what the table is all about,” said Heda.
Check out Heda The Table to learn about her services for your next get-together. Plus check out her Instagram to get inspired.
