Our tasting team just got back from an amazing trip through Europe, and through our travels, we have had the opportunity to try SO many of our traditional fan favorite products that we usually purchase imported from the United Kingdom, as well as many new, local products! Our team did a charcuterie tray set for a wedding at the beautiful Torre Abbey, the most beautiful abbey established in 1196, in Torquay England along the English Riviera.
We spent twenty-six days exploring 6 countries, and I have to say, one of my highlights from the whole trip was visiting the Costco Warehouse in Bristol, England! After having been out of the country for almost 20 days, it felt like we were back home in the States to wander the isles of Costco and enjoy a slice of Costco pizza! It was truly the best! Now, I am beyond excited to share the products that we found at the Costco in England, to use on the wedding charcuterie trays.
Here are some of the products we used:
Cheeses:
Cave Aged Cheddar: This Cave Aged Cheddar originated and has to stay in the United Kingdom due to its protected status, meaning it is a cheese we could only purchase in the UK! It had a nutty flavor and a hard texture. They say this cheese was made within the Caves of Wookey Hole, giving it an earthy flavor. It had a similar taste to Coastal Cheddar, our fan-favorite English white cheddar, but it did have an earthier taste!
Collier’s White Cheddar: This was a cheese we say at the Costco in Bristol and knew we needed to try! It is a 100% Welsh cheese, so it is a local cheese (especially because Bristol is just a mere 30 minute drive from Wales!) This one was a fan favorite of ours & had a lot of similarities to Coastal Cheddar as well! It was a cool experience to be able to try a Welsh cheese, as I do not believe I had ever tried any Welsh cheeses before!
Castello, Tuxford & Tebbutt Creameries’ Vintage Stilton: This Vintage Stilton is a rich & creamy, aged English cheese. It has blue veins, and as most stilton’s do, a very distinctive and recognizable flavor. We used this cheese on our board to create a crumbly texture to add a new element to the charcuterie trays. This cheese is also a protected destination of origin cheese of England.
And of course, our favorite English White Cheddar Cheese, Coastal Cheddar! Available at Costco in England & the US!
Charcuterie:
Anti Pasta Rustico: To start off, we were able to find an Antipasto sampler that included varieties of charcuterie including hot Genoa salami, Milano salami, salami with prosciutto, coppa di parma, and prosciutto. This sampler was imported straight from Italy and came in a two pack at Costco, providing you with almost 20 ounces of charcuterie varieties, perfect for making a grazing table (& some beautiful salami roses!)
German Salami Slices: Next, we have some German Salami Slices, which we found at a local grocery market in England. We also used these to create salami roses for our trays.
Citterio Salami Trio: At the Costco in Bristol, we were able to find a salami trio in order to have some of our favorite flavors in sliced bites for the board, like we do in the States! We found this trio pack, which included flavors such as Napoli Salami, “Strafino” Smoked Salami, Truffle Salami, and Wine Salami, all made in Milano, Italy. This pack was SO yummy & had a lot of similar flavors as to salami trios we purchase back in the States, as well as some new flavors. Each stick measured out to 150 grams, which means this trio 4-pack was almost 1 pound and 5 ounces of charcuterie!
Lastly! The Costco we visited had a variety of fruits, nuts, vegetables, chocolates, and all the things! We loved browsing the aisles and seeing what we could incorporate into this board!
We purchased berries, some of which were locally grown in the United Kingdom, and our blueberries were imported from Portugal! Talk about a charcuterie board from all over the world!
So, now you know! Next time you go to England, you can build your own grazing table if you need to! 😉
And for resources on how to build your own charcuterie board, including step-by-step tutorials & shopping lists, check out our class, Charcuterie Made Simple!
And a lil extra for you all! The iconic Costco food court looks a bit different in the UK!
