Olivia TaylorWine, cheese, and cold cuts? Yes please. Charcuterie boards are must-haves at the parties my girlfriends and I hold because they’re delicious and indulgent while being quite easy to put together.
It was my turn to host a gals’ party last month, which led me to scour Ottawa for the best charcuterie spots that won’t put me to shame, and I was not disappointed!
There are so many good charcuterie places in Ottawa – some are old favorites, while I also had exciting discoveries. So whether you’re looking for your next date spot, hosting a party, or just a food enthusiast who loves meat and cheese, this list is for you!
The Piggy Market
Media Credit: the_piggy_market
Address: 400 Winston Ave
Contact: +1 613-371-6124
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Friday (11:30 AM – 7 PM)
- Saturday (10 AM – 6 PM)
- Sunday (10 AM – 4 PM)
The Piggy Market is an all-in-one bakery, deli, and craft butcher shop. They work with local farmers and have an extensive selection of meat and artisanal and local cheeses. They’re perfect if you like building your own board.
They have over a hundred (yes, a hundred) cheeses crafted by local small-scale artisanal cheesemakers in Quebec and Ontario. They also carry award-winning cheeses such as Lankaaster from Glengarry Fine Cheeses, which is a firm cheese known for its rich and complex flavors.
They’re also very big on charcuterie, they have a lot of sausages, bacon, ham, pate, terrines, rillettes, and salami. Their bakery is also always stocked with freshly-baked and nut-free bread (one of the owners is allergic).
Overall, they’re a great one-stop-shop in the city for your grazing board needs.
Pro Tip:
They have an engaging sausage-making class here. It lasts for three hours and you’ll learn
Good Grazes
Media Credit: goodgrazes
Address: 5510 Canotek Rd Unit 4
Contact: +1 613-714-0422
Operating Hours:
- Wednesday-Sunday (8 AM – 3 PM)
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Good Grazes is a good place to go to when you want pre-made charcuterie platters or boxes for special occasions or just for snacking.
There are so many kinds to choose from: canapés and small bites, tea snacks, fruit platters, brunch platters, vegetarian platters, and party platters of various sizes, to name a few.
You also have the option of customizing your platter to choose your favorites or avoid food you’re allergic to. Everything is fresh, high quality, delicious, and presentable. You’ll see the care taken in creating the platters. Their efficient service is also commendable.
The platters here are available both for delivery and pickup. You can request that they add a card in case you’re giving this to someone as a gift. You can also buy a digital gift card so the person can purchase what they want in-store.
Pro Tip:
They’re pretty strict with the pick-up time, so make sure to come to your assigned slot to make sure someone is available to give your order to you! Late fees might apply if you reschedule pickup at the last minute.
Savoury Swine Corner Grocer
Media Credit: savouryswine
Address: 729 Gladstone Ave
Operating Hours:
- Wednesday (11 AM – 6 PM)
- Thursday-Saturday (10 AM – 6 PM)
- Sunday (11 AM – 4 PM)
- Closed on Mondays
Savoury Swine is a small shop that is known for its local products such as sausages, cured meats, dry-aged steaks, preserves, and cheeses. Prices are on the high side, but you really get what you pay for, as the quality of the products is always top-notch.
Their red pepper sausages and jalapeno cheese curd smoked sausages are crowd pleasers, but they have so much to choose from that will fit the taste profile you want.
Aside from high-quality products, the staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable. You can ask them for recommendations depending on the grazing board you’re planning to make. People return here because of the warm service they experience.
Pro Tip:
They’re usually very busy on Saturdays. If you don’t like crowds, it’s best to visit them during the week.
Jacobsons
Media Credit: jacobsonottawa
Address: 103 Beechwood Ave.
Contact: +1 613-746-6002
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday (9 AM – 6 PM)
- Wednesday- Friday (9 AM – 7 PM)
- Saturday (9 AM – 6 PM)
- Sunday (10 AM – 5 PM)
- Closed on Mondays
If you’re looking for rare and unique ingredients and are eager to try new items for your charcuterie board, Jacobsons is a good option. They have hard-to-find items like lactose-free cheese, different kinds of caviar, foie gras, and so much more.
They’re a family business offering fine food and artisanal grocery items. They’ve been around for 18 years now and are known for their excellent service and niche selection. They’re perfect if you want to shake things up a bit for your charcuterie board.
They even have a Cheese of the Month Club that you can join. That way, every first Thursday of the month, you’ll receive a curated selection of cheese and other items complete with tasting notes and the story behind the choice.
Pro Tip:
If you’re planning a bigger party, they also offer catering! Make sure to give them a call for more details.
Hintonburg Market
Media Credit: hintonburgmarket
Address: 1059 Wellington St.
Contact: +1 613-722-2777
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Friday (8 AM – 8 PM)
- Saturday-Sunday (9 AM – 7 PM)
Hintonburg Market is a small, family-owned and operated butcher shop and grocery store that’s very warm and inviting. The place is well-stocked with meat, sausages, salami, artisanal cheeses, bread, and other specialities from local suppliers.
While they don’t have the most extensive selection on this list, they still offer quite an impressive range of items for your charcuterie board, and the prices here are more reasonable compared to other specialty stores.
What we like about them is that they are good at making you feel part of the community with weekly specials, contests, and other fun activities that make the experience personal. Since they’re a smaller outfit, it makes it easier for them to intentionally connect with customers.
That’s why it’s easy to see why they have earned a lot of regulars. They make sure to accommodate special requests when they can. You can give them a call to check the availability of items before picking them up.
Pro Tip:
Aside from charcuterie board items, they also carry homemade ready-to-eat meals prepared fresh by their in-house chefs. So check them out before you leave the store.
Adams Sausages
Media Credit: adamssausages
Address: 1437 Michael St
Contact: +1 613-749-3336
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday-Thursday (8 AM – 5 PM)
- Friday (8 AM – 6 PM)
- Saturday (7 AM – 5 PM)
- Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Adams Sausages is really a go-to for freshly-made and delicious sausages as they make them on-site. They’re well known and have won numerous awards for their smoked hams and sausages. The meat cuts are truly impressive without breaking the bank.
They have been around for more than 25 years, and the quality of their products shows the wealth of experience they have when it comes to meat.
They also carry a lot of authentic European goods such as chocolates and condiments that might be hard to find – perfect for your board!
Pro Tip:
If you like pickled goods, they have quite the collection, so you’re in for a treat.
La Bottega Nicastro, Fine Food Shop – ByWard Market
Media Credit: La Bottega Nicastro
Address: 64 George St
Contact: +1 613-789-7575
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Thursday; Saturday (9 AM – 6 PM)
- Friday (9 AM – 8 PM)
- Sunday (10 AM – 5 PM)
Serving for over 30 years, La Bottega Nicastro has built a reputation as an amazing Italian market. They’re the place to go if you’re looking for specific goods and delicacies from Italy that might be hard to find at normal grocery stores – we’re talking different kinds of sauces and infused olive oils – they have them all.
While they carry items you can buy to build your own grazing board, they also offer ready-made ones complete with cold cuts, assorted olives, mixed nuts, cheeses, crackers, Italian spreads, and dried and fresh fruit.
If you get hungry while shopping, they have a full-service restaurant you can go to for authentic Italian food. Chef Rene Rodriguez has amazing specials here, and their tiramisu is worth trying.
Pro Tip:
They have a lot of cooking and wine classes here. You can bring your friends for a fun night out! Learning while sampling the best of Italy? We’re in.
Dumouchel Meat & Deli
Media Credit: dumouchelmeat
Address: 351 Donald St
Contact: +1 613-744-6683
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday-Friday (9 AM – 6 PM)
- Saturday (9 AM – 5 PM)
- Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Dumouchel is a neighborhood butcher shop and deli that’s well-loved because of their wide range of charcuterie finds, reasonable prices, and friendly staff.
They’re warm and welcoming and have a way of making you feel at home when you walk in. They’re very generous in offering tips when you ask questions about their products and are helpful with deliveries if you don’t have time to go to the store yourself.
When you place an order for delivery, they’re very intentional with contacting you to ask about your preferences and inform you about the delivery time in advance. This is just one of the ways
Another interesting thing is they offer a subscription service for different kinds of meat boxes, such as the healthy eater bundle, easy dinner bundle, and different kinds of family packs that are worth looking into.
Pro Tip:
Gift cards are available for purchase online! Check it out here.
Farm2Fork
Media Credit: farm2forkdeliverycanada
Address: 1570-A Carling Ave
Contact: +1 888-509-1164
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday-Friday (11 AM – 5 PM)
- Saturday (10 AM – 4 PM)
- Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Farm2Fork offers locally-farmed meats for delivery or pick-up. They make sure that everything is all-natural, organic, and fresh. Their products are flash-frozen and vacuum-sealed to ensure this.
We love that they’re so committed that they have an “only-if-you’re-thrilled” guarantee. So if your order is not to your liking, you can have it exchanged easily. They have an intuitive and simple ordering process, it makes access to quality meats easier.
They have an extensive range of meat products – turkey, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and seafood. And of course, they have great sausages for your charcuterie board as well! While their prices are a bit expensive, you get what you pay for in quality and excellent service.
Pro Tip:
They have great recipes on their website that you can check out!
Split Tree Cocktail Co.
Media Credit: splittreemixers
Address: 98 Richmond Rd Unit J
Contact: +1 613-722-3598
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday-Wednesday (12 PM – 6 PM)\
- Thursday-Friday (12 PM – 7 PM)
- Saturday (11 AM – 6 PM)
- Sunday (12 PM – 5 PM)
Split Tree’s goal as a business is to bring people together by providing spaces where they can connect – whether that’s over a drink and charcuterie or in their workshops.
They’re very versatile, offering charcuterie boards, bar tools, bitters, wine, zero-proof spirits, and garnishes all in one shop. They have fabulous-looking charcuterie boxes that you can enjoy in the shop or to go.
The charcuterie boxes come in different sizes, all with a variety of cured meats, cheeses, crackers, chutneys, olives, and fruits. They’re reasonably priced for the quality and generous servings.
Their cocktail workshops and wine tastings are also fun! It’s a great way to connect with friends and new people while enjoying different meats and cheeses.
Pro Tip:
You can book their workshop space for private events!
