As Mary Ashlyn Lankford’s family gathered around the table for a game of cards, she dashed to the kitchen to gather some snacks and munchies for the night. 

Checking out her fridge, she found a bit of brie cheese, a small bowl of jam, crackers, grapes, salami, and few other odds and ends. Having seen some lovely charcuterie boards featured on Tic Toc, she thought she’d dress up her game night snacks. So, she assembled these items on her cutting board, snapped a few pics of her handiwork, and posted it on Facebook.

What came next was totally unexpected. 

“So many people responded positively to my post. It was encouraging and pretty exciting too.” 

Mary Ashlyn Lankford

Following her first board, she made one for her boss and for a close friend.

As her popularity grew, demand did as well. She found clientele who wanted to serve her charcuterie boards at their parties and special occasions. Since December 2020, The Board Goat has filled more than 300 orders.

In addition to making boards for individuals’ entertaining needs, she has provided charcuterie boards for paint parties, prom prepping, baby showers, and weddings, and has lunch box and snack sized options as well.

“While growing up, I didn’t even like cheese,” Mary Ashlyn confessed. “But I’ve always loved to cook and try new recipes, so charcuterie was just another outlet for my creativity in the kitchen.”

Each board begins with the selection of cheese, the meat is added, and small relishes like olives or marinated mushrooms. “You can add anything you like to a board,” she explained.  She said the secret to a perfect salami “rose” is a champagne flute. “Just keep layering the salami, then slip it off the end of the flute opening. Then you have a delicious ‘rose’ for your board. And don’t forget to garnish with fresh herbs. It’s that little extra that makes it special.”

According to Mary Ashlyn, charcuterie is best served at room temperature. 

Although her favorite charcuteries are the ones made on a customer’s own “board,” she has round and rectangular trays and box-sized options. She also works closely with Lolli and Pops Handmade Home Decor and offers their boards as options as well.

Once a week she gets the freshest produce she can find, usually at Costco, but is looking forward to purchasing locally grown produce as it comes into season. 

“If it’s not fresh, then it doesn’t go on the board. Period,” she said.

The key to her bountiful trays is to keep adding to it, past the minimum. “If I can see board at all then there needs to be more.”

The Board Goat’s signature elements are the addition of pickled okra and two pieces of salted caramel dark chocolate candies.

She plans to have a booth at the annual Fall Festival in Jackson, AL in November.  “I’ll be opening my ordering window for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my busiest season,” Mary Ashlyn said.

She now has clients in and makes deliveries to Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

Mary Ashlyn has hopes to expand into a store front one day but is waiting for just the right time.  She has access to a large commercial kitchen which is ideal for now. 

“I just want to be sure that this isn’t some fad that’s here today, but gone tomorrow,” she explained cautiously.

Ordering and more information may be found on The Board Goat LLC Facebook page or by clicking https://theboardgoatal.wufoo.com/forms/q1ecssym1cryt0d/.

A charcuterie (char·cu·te·rie, SHärˈko͞odərē/) originated in France in the 15^th-century as a store that sold cold, cooked meat, preserved with methods used in Ancient Rome (https://foodicles.com/charcuterie-history/). It’s an intimate way of sharing small bites, along with sips of wine and conversation.