Indian Land resident Melanie Riggs turned her hobby of creating beautiful charcuterie boards into a business after encouragement from friends and family. Cute-a-ries is an online business that sells custom charcuterie boards and boxes that are made using fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients.
Melanie is currently a stay-at-home mom to her two young daughters with whom she shares with her husband and high-school sweetheart Brandon. The Riggs family loved to host get-togethers where Melanie would always have fun getting creative with charcuterie boards. When her friends started asking her to put together boards for them, Melanie realized that there wasn’t a charcuterie board company in the area.
“There is a lot of opportunity and growth in this area,” said Melanie. “I thought, if I don’t do it, someone else will.”
Melanie believes she got her knack for complementing flavors for her boards from her family’s diverse backgrounds. Melanie’s mother was born and raised in Honduras, where her father was stationed in the Army. Brandon’s mother is African- American and his father is Caucasian. Melanie explains that her home is a vast array of flavors and foods. “We love throwing parties to bring togetherness and love between all people,” she said. “One thing all of our guests agree on is our amazing graze boards.”
During the pandemic, Brandon took up woodworking as a side project. When you purchase a charcuterie board from Cute-a-ries, you will receive a handmade board by Brandon. He carves, sands, stains, and seals boards with FDA butcher sealant, then brands the boards with the Cute-a-ries logo.
“I do have big dreams,” said Melanie. “I want to see how far I can take this.”
The name:
“I really wanted to emphasize the ‘cute’ part of charcuterie boards,” said Melanie. “It’s not just about them tasting good but also looking good, and the aesthetics of it. It’s really an art and an experience.”
How it works:
Choose a Small or Large Graze Box or Grazing Board. The Grazing Boards start at $100 and include a handcrafted charcuterie board. The Graze Boxes start at $40.
With each order, you receive an assortment of meats and cheeses, fruit, spreads or jams, honey, veggies, nuts, and chocolates/sweets. Fun seasonal and holiday-themed options are available as well as special requests.
Orders require 48-hour notice in order for Riggs to get the fresh ingredients. Orders can be picked up or Cute-a-ries delivers for free within the Indian Land-area. Order online at www.cute-a-ries.com.
