12 Best Grocery Store Chains To Find Quality Ingredients For Your Charcuterie Board

A great charcuterie board transforms casual dining into a full experience with specialty cheeses, gourmet snack mixes, and artisan meats. However, you don't need to book a plane ticket to an exotic destination to find some of the best ingredients. Stop by one of these shops to stock up on goods for your next get together, family event, or even a fancy dinner for one. Whether you're looking to make the easiest app or the main event, you can mix and match to suit your own preferences or even pick up a ready-made board.

The best grocery stores for ingredient and display selection have a wide range of staples, like cheese, crackers, and meats. Including a wide variety is key to building better charcuterie boards, so our favorite shops often have dedicated cheese and meat counters that stock plenty of options. To keep things interesting, don't forget to peruse the olive bar, fresh fruits and vegetables, and nuts to bring a variety of flavors and textures. Whether you want to load up on classic offerings or turn some of the boring ingredients on their heads with unusual substitutions, you can find plenty of options at one of these stores.

You can keep things simple to save a little money or go big with international favorites for a truly unique board. The best spots have plenty of ingredients at a few price points so that you can save on staples and splurge on a few special items.

Your first stop when shopping for unique cheeses and meats — plus plenty of snacky items to round out your selection — should be Aldi. This budget-friendly store is our secret weapon when it comes to building a fantastic charcuterie spread.

There are classics like a great selection of goat cheese and sharp cheddar, but also items that you won't find anywhere else, such as lobster roll dip and sriracha Gouda. Most are less than $5, so you'll be able to load up your board. Because Aldi is a German grocery store chain, there are a lot of international flavors on the shelves. Aldi also leans heavily into themed holidays, so this should be your go-to spot to grab green cheeses around St. Patrick's Day or holiday flavors in December.

The downside (and upside) of Aldi is that the selection changes seasonally and even week-to-week, so each visit can result in a slightly different board. That also means that if you find a particular favorite, it might only be in stock for a limited time. Overall, the fantastic prices, solid staples, and unique selection of limited release items makes this one of our favorite spots to shop for charcuterie ingredients.

If we want high quality ingredients for charcuterie that are already paired together, we go by The Fresh Market. It's a little bit pricier than other stores, but the curated pairings take all of the work out of building something fantastic. It might not be one-of-a-kind, but it's quick and tasty, two of the best aspects of charcuterie in our book.

You can get a classic charcuterie tray for around $33, complete with a simple tray for display. Keep it as-is or add your own spin on it with extra crackers, cheese, meat, and fruit. The cheese selection at The Fresh Market is particularly good and includes recommendations with delicious pairings, plus extras like crackers and jams right alongside. The truffle Gouda from Wisconsin is a personal favorite that makes frequent appearances on my own boards for some super luxurious flavor. Add some cookies or other sweets for an unexpected but delicious touch.

The layout of the store makes it easy to stock up on great ingredients, plus provides inspiration with flowers, candies, and treats sprinkled throughout. When you first walk in, the floral department greets you with heavenly smells while soft music plays. You'll definitely walk out with plenty of great charcuterie board ingredients and likely some decor as well, although your wallet will be noticeably lighter if you get all of your items at The Fresh Market.

Want to get some inspiration and ideas while still keeping things under budget? Trader Joe's is the perfect place to go. The TJ's cheese selection is legendary, so this is always at the top of our list when it comes to building a charcuterie board, especially one that relies on various types of creamy, stinky, and sharp cheeses as the centerpiece. The meat selection is good, but not as robust as some other spots, although it still carries more than enough for us to mix and match. We prefer stocking up on breads and sweet treats at Trader Joe's to take the place of plain old grains, but you can find plenty of crackers and breads. Add dips and salads as well to round things out for a larger spread.

If we're looking to curate a cheese-heavy board, we'll get everything from Trader Joe's because, let's be honest, the rest of the items are just vehicles to get the stars, the cheese, to your mouth. If you want to lean heavily into meats, crackers, and nuts, you may need to make stops by other stores as well. You can build an ultimate charcuterie board using all TJ's ingredients, just like we did when we put its selection to the test.

Trader Joe's also has some budget-friendly flowers at the front of the store. This can elevate your spread to a full presentation, rather than just a smattering of ingredients on a tray. 

There is a good balance of gourmet options — which are more expensive — and basics at Wegman's. We can find really unique selections as well as some that appeal to a wide range of palates. If you want to be more budget-conscious, stick with the mainstream aisles and use your store loyalty card for extra savings. To add a few luxury items, head over to the deli area for specialty cheeses and meats. For the easiest option — but also priciest — grab a ready-made appetizer tray, half-board, or full board complete with meat, cheese, olives, and fruit.

The cheese department gets special mention, especially if you aren't sure what you want to put together. You can ask for samples and advice from the knowledgeable cheesemongers at the counter. They'll recommend pairings and even cut pieces to order as they help you select everything for your board. Add jams, nuts, and crackers from the cheese counter or go to the nearby aisles for a larger selection.

If you're starting from scratch, Wegman's is a good choice because the store also carries housewares and serving platters, flowers and decor, and a few extra touches like cheese knives, specialty napkins, and appetizer plates. If you don't already have a set of cheese knives to put out, adding this simple touch will elevate the look — not to mention, help slice the ingredients much easier.

Check out the gourmet aisle at TJ Maxx for some really unusual finds. You won't see many of these anywhere else, which can go far to building a one-of-a-kind board.

TJ Maxx also has housewares and kitchen items, if you want to get a something unique to put everything on. Wooden and marble boards are common, in part because they're synonymous with a great-looking charcuterie for their rustic and timeless appeal.

You can also pick up serving plates, cheese knives, and novelty decor to put on your display. The store constantly gets new items in, so stop by often if you want to browse. There are also plenty of seasonal items, like egg-shaped platters for Easter and Santas around Christmas. The prices are good, especially when you compare them to luxury home decor boutiques. 

You're likely going to need to stop by at least one other store to get everything that you need. TJ Maxx doesn't have a refrigerated section, so the meat and cheese selection is almost non-existent. You can find nuts, crackers, cookies, and other pantry items to put out, however.

If it seems like Walmart carries just about everything, it's because it does. There aren't as many gourmet options here, but you can count on this mega store to have delicious options for a solid charcuterie. Build you own by getting cheese, meat, crackers, and other goodies or pick up one of the ready-made options to keep things super simple. 

Walmart carries mostly big brand names — plus its own store brand, Great Value — rather than artisan or small-batch products. For fresh groceries, such as fruit and veggies, make sure that you go to a Walmart Supercenter that includes a complete grocery section. 

You can grab a board and serving dishes, as well as utensils, cups, and tablescape decor. Walmart even has patio furniture and umbrellas so that you create an outdoor oasis for your charcuterie party. It's truly a one-stop shop for everything that you need, just without as many unique or gourmet options as some other stores.

We're big Costco shoppers, so we turn to this warehouse retailer when we need to build a large charcuterie board for a gathering of family and friends. Everything is sold in bulk, which means you'd best be ready to chow down if you're getting your ingredients here.

If you can't decide on a specific style of crackers, grab a variety pack. The Kellogg's cracker collection comes with some of our all-time favorites, including club crackers and buttery TownHouse. The Cello variety pack of cheeses includes basic favorites like cheddar and Jarlsberg Swiss, but they come pre-sliced and already displayed on a tray.

For those who like to turn their board into artwork, there aren't as many options at Costco as other stores. Things here are more warehouse than gourmet, but you can get a lot in one purchase. You can then upgrade these basics with specialty items from other stores.

Like other items at Costco, cheeses and meats are sold in large bulk packages. But once you find one that you like, it's hard to beat the prices at Costco. We like the Kirkland Signature manchego, which rivals some of the pricier small-batch ones we've tried. The fresh-baked Kirkland Signature Italian loaves also make fantastic additions when sliced into smaller pieces.

Whole Foods is an expensive option, but you'll be able to find some really high quality ingredients to act as the showcase of your board. The cheese selection has plenty of gourmet options and the produce is super fresh and often organic. You can also find some unusual produce to add, such as kumquats or dragonfruit. One piece can provide both flavor and style that will make your charcuterie go above and beyond basic cheese and crackers.

For a larger board, we like to get a few types of olives to add some saltiness to our spread. Whole Foods has one of the best selections out there in a variety of styles, many with extras like feta or blue cheese. You can also stop by the salad bar and prepared foods section to get exact portions of what you need, including extras like sushi and even hot dishes. This is a great way to put heartier items alongside a lighter charcuterie appetizer while still keeping your time in the kitchen to a minimum.

One of the secrets of Whole Foods that will save you money is to use your Amazon Prime membership for additional savings. The store brand, 365, is another helpful hack since many of these products are just as high-quality and delicious as the more expensive brand name counterparts. 

You can find more natural favorites with clean ingredients at Sprouts. It's also the perfect place to grab fresh fruit to add some brightness to your board. The floral department is another good way to add something extra special to the presentation.

Like Whole Foods and The Fresh Market, it's a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for with high-quality items throughout the store. The Sprouts store brand is a good way to stay on budget, especially with crackers and pantry items for your board. We suggest splurging a little on the cheese and meat from Sprouts to take advantage of some unique and gourmet options the store stocks.

It's particularly easy to shop Sprouts for special diet considerations since items are clearly labeled as plant-based, organic, and non-GMO, among others. If you want or need to consider dietary restrictions, this makes shopping go a little smoother, which is especially important if you're preparing a board to share with others.

Take your charcuterie international by incorporating treats from all over the world, which you can find at World Market. You won't have as large of a selection of basics, like cheese and meat, but there are a few, especially when it comes to preserved meats.

It's hard to beat the offerings for unique boards and World Market is one of our favorite spots to pick something up to match a particular theme. There are wooden options, marble platters, and plenty of cheese knives to browse. Grab a board with a helpful guide to balancing all of the offerings to get the right combination of flavors and textures etched it. All you have to do is stock up and fill in the blank with your ingredients. The best rule for filling is to start with the larger items, and then work your way around to make sure things are balanced and look appealing.

We also really like grabbing mini items, like honey or jam, to add to the spread for both taste and adorable presentation. You can put a few options out and not feel guilty about anything going to waste since they are all miniature sized. This is also a fantastic way to offer a lot of different spreads without getting crowded for space.

You can grab a premade charcuterie board to save time from Publix, which has some of the best ready-to-eat boards we've seen. Stick with a classic meat, cheese, and fruit option or branch out with an international-themed board. The Spain to Italy curated selection has favorites from both countries, like manchego cheese and prosciutto. This item features Boar's Head ingredients, which are high-quality, even if they aren't necessarily small-batch.

If you want to take care of the presentation yourself, opt for a larger "Artful Eating" box instead. It comes with everything that you need for an amazing board, including salami, manchego, nuts, crackers, and more. You'll have to slice and arrange things yourself, but at least it takes the work of pairing things off of your plate.

Other than the curated boxes and boards, the selection at Publix is pretty similar to what you'd find at most grocery stores. There are a lot of popular staples, like sharp cheddar, Swiss, and a good selection of cured meats, but you won't find much outside of the norm. 

For the board itself, Target has some of the best selections. You can keep it simple with a wooden option that doubles as a cutting board or go super elaborate with a whole setup with pull-out trays, removable mini boards, and built-in serving utensil storage. Target also has plenty of fun dishes, napkins, and even little toothpicks to make your charcuterie feel extra special.

You can pick up ingredients as well, but those are only okay. There are a few premade items from Columbus and Target's store brand, Good & Gather, that have a decent selection of meats and cheeses. The Good & Gather charcuterie bite packs are like a board made for one, perfect for feeling fancy while you snack. You won't find a dedicated cheese or deli section at the store, however. Grab your board and serving things at Target, and then head over to an actual grocery store for all of the fixins.