Certain significant milestones in life, such as graduating, getting married or welcoming a new baby, are cause for celebration. What better way to mark these special occasions than with delicious food? In 2018 Christy Johnson found herself at a crossroads in her life. After being a stay-at-home mom, she was contemplating her next steps and decided to follow her passion for hospitality and entertaining by opening The Bountiful Board.
“I loved entertaining and was hosting a wine tasting for a friend,” Christy says. “I asked my husband to make a food-safe board as large as our island, which was 9-feet long. I filled it with charcuterie and everyone loved it. The idea to open The Bountiful Board came out of that party.”
At The Bountiful Board, customers can choose from a range of sizes of charcuterie trays, boards, and platters, filled with an assortment of meats, cheeses, olives, crackers, fruits, and all the accompanying treats needed to cater to any gathering size. Each presentation is meticulously crafted, going beyond simply arranging meats and cheeses on a plain surface. Christy and her team put in dedicated effort to create visually stunning and Instagram-worthy snacking boards that are truly a work of art.
“I have a team of four full-time ladies who work so hard to create exactly what the customer wants,” Christy says. “I like to make sure I speak with the customer about their event and needs, to custom curate something just for them.”
In addition to their charcuterie offerings, The Bountiful Board provides a wide array of options including crisp and refreshing crudité platters, personalized lunch boxes, Hawaiian-roll slider trays, individual snacks, dessert and veggie cups, s’mores boxes, and customized cookie and candy boards. Christy takes pride in collaborating with fellow local women-owned businesses for various projects, adding a special touch to each creation.
“I love working with and highlighting other small businesses,” Christy says. “For our orders with baked items, we partner with Cookies by Jeri and Becky the Bakester. We love working with both businesses to create gorgeous dessert offerings.”
Customers have the option to either pick up their boards or have them delivered for a minimum-order fee. Every order is prepared fresh for pickup or delivery in Christy’s commercial kitchen, and then carefully shrink-wrapped to preserve its freshness. This allows customers to simply sit back and enjoy their event without any added stress.
The journey from idea to fruition has been gradual but worth it for Christy. Since charcuterie businesses don’t qualify under Indiana cottage food laws, it was necessary to first find and rent space in other commercial kitchens to get started. Then, in December 2022 with the support of her loyal customers, she was able to open her own storefront in her hometown of Sheridan, Indiana (a short drive from her residence in Westfield), bringing her dream of helping busy moms and dads fully into reality. Additionally, the commercial kitchen creates a great space for hosting events, like the charcuterie classes she offers a couple of times per year.
With her firsthand experience as a mother of three, Christy emphasizes that The Bountiful Board’s products are a more cost-effective option compared to traditional catering services for events like graduations, baby showers or weddings. She highlights that her team takes pride in brainstorming creative and unique ideas to tailor each ready-to-serve board for any occasion.
“We’ve done anything from bridal showers to book clubs to bunco parties,” Christy says. “Food is a great way to mark any special occasion. We’ve even created small boards for date nights with couples. If the client reaches out, we are happy to develop something extraordinary together to fit any event.”
