By Alex Beleaev | Caviar & Gourmet, London | beleaev.com
You can buy proper artisan charcuterie online in the UK and have it delivered chilled, without hunting down a deli counter on a Saturday. The skill is choosing a few meats that work together rather than a dozen that fight, and ordering the right amount. This guide covers both.
Beleaev ships cured meats across the UK on a chilled courier: Italian salami, silky mortadella, lean bresaola, fiery nduja and Spanish chorizo. Below are the pieces we carry, what each one is for, and how much to put on the table.
Key Takeaways
- Build a board on contrast: one firm salami, one soft meat, one lean, one with heat
- Prices run from around £8.95 for a chorizo horseshoe to £69.95 for a pistachio mortadella
- Allow roughly 80 to 100g of cured meat per person for a grazing board
- Everything ships chilled across the UK; serve at room temperature
- Start with the Beleaev charcuterie collection
Which Charcuterie Should You Buy?
There is no single best cured meat. There is the right mix for the occasion and the number of people you are feeding.
For the firm, everyday slice: salami
Salami is where most boards begin. Our Finocchiona fennel salami, around 400g and made in London by Cobble Lane, is the gentle Tuscan favourite, sweet with fennel seed. For something punchier, the Napoli spicy salami brings southern Italian heat, while the French saucisson sec, sliced and ready, sits clean and savoury in the middle. One firm salami is plenty on a small board; two if you want a mild and a spicy.
For the soft centre: mortadella
Every board needs a soft, gentle slice to balance the dried meats. Our sliced mortadella is the silky Bologna classic at an easy price; the mortadella with pistachio, a 3kg catering piece, is the showstopper for a party.
For the lean note: bresaola
The Bresaola della Valtellina is air-dried beef from Lombardy, deep red and tender. Sliced thin with lemon and oil, it is the lightest, most elegant thing you can put out, and a welcome contrast to all that pork.
For heat and smoke: nduja, chorizo and speck
For warmth, the spreadable nduja goes on warm bread or melts through pasta, with a Nduja Halal option so pork-free guests are not left out. Spanish chorizo gives you two roles: the Chorizo Hot Horseshoe, ready for tapas, and the mild cooking chorizo for stews and one-pan suppers. And the Speck Alto Adige, lightly smoked, is lovely wrapped around grissini or melon.
| Cured meat | Style | Size | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finocchiona fennel salami | Firm, sweet (fennel) | ≈400g | £11.95 |
| Sliced mortadella | Soft, cooked | 500g | £11.95 |
| Bresaola della Valtellina | Lean, air-dried beef | 250g | £18.95 |
| Nduja spreading salami | Soft, fiery | ≈500g | £18.95 |
| Chorizo hot horseshoe | Spicy, ready to eat | 225g | £8.95 |
Not sure where to begin? A fennel salami, a mortadella and a small bowl of nduja make a complete board for four with very little effort.
How Much to Order
This is where most boards go wrong, usually by being too small.
For a grazing board as a starter, allow roughly 80 to 100g of cured meat per person across all the meats combined. So a board for four wants around 350 to 400g total, which a 400g salami plus a 500g mortadella covers comfortably with slices to spare.
If charcuterie is the main event, a long lunch or a sharing supper, push that to around 150g a head and add cheese, bread and pickles to fill it out. For a larger gathering, the 3kg pistachio mortadella or a kilo of cooking chorizo does the heavy lifting.
A quick rule for a board of four: one firm salami (around 400g), one soft mortadella (500g), and a small bowl of nduja covers the meat. Add a hard cheese, good bread, olives and a fruit chutney and you have a generous spread with almost nothing to prepare. Scale the same ratio up for six or eight rather than adding more types, since variety past four meats tends to blur rather than impress.
What to serve alongside
The accompaniments are what make a board feel complete. Cornichons and olives bring acidity and salt; a fruit chutney or a spoon of honey adds the sweetness that offsets rich, fatty slices. A firm cheese and plenty of bread or crackers give people something to build on. For drinks, a light red, a dry rose or a crisp lager all sit happily against cured meat, and a glass of fino sherry is the natural match for the Spanish chorizo.
How Charcuterie Is Delivered
We deliver across the UK on a chilled courier, so the meats arrive in the condition they left us.
Sliced products (the mortadella, bresaola, speck, saucisson and Napoli salami) come ready to plate, which saves you a knife and a steady hand. Whole pieces like the Cobble Lane finocchiona and the catering mortadella give you control over thickness and keep longer once you start them. The nduja and cooking chorizo travel well and earn their place in the kitchen as much as on the board.
Keep everything refrigerated until the day, then take it out around twenty minutes before serving. Cured meat eaten cold is cured meat at half volume; a short warm-up brings back the aroma and softens the fat.
Why Buy Charcuterie from Beleaev
We are a London caviar and gourmet house, and we treat cured meat the way we treat the tins: chosen with care, handled cold and described honestly. We carry a tight, considered range rather than an endless wall of sausage, so the meats on offer are the ones worth putting in front of guests. If you want to understand the differences before you order, our companion guide explains salami, mortadella and how to build a board.
FAQ
Where can I buy artisan charcuterie online in the UK?
Online, from specialists who name the style and origin of each meat. Beleaev delivers Italian salami, mortadella, bresaola and nduja, plus Spanish chorizo, chilled across the UK. Look for a clear description of how each meat is made rather than a generic mixed pack.
How much charcuterie should I order per person?
For a grazing board, allow roughly 80 to 100g of cured meat per person across all the meats. If charcuterie is the main meal, increase to around 150g a head and add cheese, bread and pickles. A board for four wants about 350 to 400g of meat in total.
Is the charcuterie sliced or whole?
Both. Mortadella, bresaola, speck, saucisson and Napoli salami come pre-sliced and ready to plate. The Cobble Lane finocchiona and catering mortadella are whole pieces, so you control the thickness, while nduja and cooking chorizo are sold as is for spreading and cooking.
Do you have a pork-free or halal option?
Yes. The Nduja Halal is a halal-certified 700g spreadable sausage with the same soft, fiery character as classic nduja, so guests who avoid pork can share the same board. Bresaola, made from beef, is another naturally non-pork choice.
How is the charcuterie delivered?
Chilled, on a temperature-controlled courier, across the UK. Keep it refrigerated until serving day, then bring it to room temperature around twenty minutes before the board goes out so the flavour and texture are at their best.
Order Your Charcuterie
A few well-chosen meats, delivered chilled and served at room temperature: that is all it takes to put out a board people remember.
Browse the full Beleaev charcuterie collection, and start with the Finocchiona fennel salami for the firm slice and the sliced mortadella for the soft one. If you would like to understand the meats first, our guide to salami, mortadella and building a board walks you through the whole family.
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