Cameron Cox, senior in exercise science, found herself searching for a hobby to occupy her time amidst the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020.
Originally from Spanish Fort, Alabama, Cox used her free time during quarantine to try her hand in making charcuterie boards, which was something she had always wanted to do.
Cox began making the charcuterie boards for her friends and family, who, according to Cox, absolutely fell in love with them. That is when she took a step back and realized that her talents could have the potential to be more than just a hobby, and she began That’s What Cheese said in June 2020.
“Once I started getting into it, I began following other charcuterie board businesses on Instagram that were from states away,” Cox said.
A charcuterie business is not something she said she has really seen been done around her.
“Whenever more and more people found my business and I was receiving a lot of orders, I began really researching the logistical side of it,” Cox said.
Her business took off last fall when students returned to Auburn's campus after the summer break. Cox credits her growing business to social media and word of mouth, after creating numerous grazing tables for sorority events.
Grazing tables are charcuterie boards on a larger scale. They usually take Cox hours to create between preparation and set up.
With a year and a half under her belt, it typically takes Cox 30-45 minutes to create a board. Prices range depending on the size of the board a customer is ordering.
A small board is $40 and a large board is $80. Cox also offers small candy boxes as party favors for $10.
As for her inspiration and process in creating the charcuterie boards, Cox does not hold herself to a set routine. Customers place their orders through her Instagram or Facebook, where they specify their preferences. Cox takes their input and puts her interpretation on it.
“I give myself creative freedom on them," Cox said. "It’s based on what the customer wants, there are no two boards that are exactly the same."
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Jayne Duignan, senior in journalism and psychology, is a culture writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
