The Rise of Grazing: How Sharing Boards Are Taking Over Festive Menus🧀

The Rise of Grazing: How Sharing Boards Are Taking Over Festive Menus

From intimate dining to large-scale celebrations, the art of grazing is stealing the spotlight this festive season. Across restaurants, pubs and events, diners are leaning into shared experiences — swapping traditional plated courses for abundant boards and beautifully curated spreads. And chefs are responding fast.

 

The Trend That’s Changing Menus

Grazing has exploded thanks to social media and a renewed appetite for togetherness. Pinterest reports searches for “grazing tables” up 80% year-on-year, while “charcuterie board ideas” remains one of the most-searched festive food terms. In hospitality, sharing dishes and boards now appear on one in four pub and casual dining menus. Arthur David has seen the same: a surge in demand for cheeses, charcuterie, fine foods and festive accompaniments as chefs build menus around sharing moments.

Insight: Consumers crave connection, variety, and informality — grazing boards deliver all three.

 

What This Means for Chefs

Grazing has quickly become a chef’s best friend — high-impact, low-stress, and full of opportunity. It brings flexibility to menus and lets great ingredients do the talking.

For kitchens, it’s a chance to:

🧀Show creativity without complexity – bold flavours, beautiful presentation, simple prep.

🧀Maximise margin – premium boards, strong upsell potential, minimal waste.

🧀Ease pressure – pre-prep items that hold well and travel across menu formats.

🧀Add theatre – food designed to be seen, shared and photographed.

Chef tip: Build boards that tell a story — local cheeses, artisan charcuterie, seasonal chutneys and fresh breads. A Somerset brie with spiced plum chutney and toasted nuts turns into an eye-catching, profitable plate that practically sells itself.

 

Building the Perfect Grazing Board

Keep it seasonal, colourful and balanced — aim for a mix of:

🧀Textures: creamy cheeses, crisp biscuits, cured meats

🧀Flavours: salty, sweet, savoury, and a touch of spice

🧀Visual appeal: variety of shapes and colours, garnished with fresh herbs or fruit

Chef’s tip: Consider portioning and margin — an 8–10 item board can easily deliver a 65–70% GP if built around quality produce and smart accompaniments.

 

Bringing It to Life: Festive Inspiration

🧀Classic Board: Prosciutto, Somerset Brie, Spiced Plum Chutney, Grapes, Crackers

🧀Local Heroes Board: Bath Soft Cheese Co., Tracklements, Bay Tree, Real Olive Co.

🧀Festive Indulgence: White Lake Goats Cheese, Pancetta, Cranberries, and Thomas Fudge Biscuits

Prepping ahead, labelling allergens, and keeping displays chilled ensures both safety and consistency — essential for busy festive services.

Our Perspective

At Arthur David, we’ve seen firsthand how the shift toward grazing has reshaped festive menus — chefs are looking for products that deliver impact without added pressure. That’s where the right ingredients and trusted service matter most. From artisan cheeses and cured meats to chutneys, crackers and festive fine foods, our role is to help chefs curate boards that are beautiful, practical and profitable.

Explore our “Entertaining Essentials” range in the Christmas brochure or contact your account manager for further support.

 

Zoe Daly - Head of Marketing