Board Certified

Board Certified

Young entrepreneur turns her passion into profit

By Tara Ryazansky

Photos courtesy of The Bell of the Boards

Lexi Pellegrini says that for as long as she can remember she’s gotten excited when she finds a charcuterie board on the menu: “Any time I’m at a restaurant, I immediately look to see if there is any type of cheese board, and if there is, nine times out of ten I make sure that I order one for the table.” It’s hard to resist a well-balanced board with a mix of creamy and sharp cheeses, delicatessen meats, briny pickles, crisp crackers, and sweet, fresh fruits.

Soon, Pellegrini became known in her friend group for bringing homemade charcuterie boards to nearly every gettogether. They’re a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

Good Enough to Eat

“I’m a big foodie, and I’m also very aesthetically driven,” Pellegrini says. “I’ve always had such a passion for this because I can take my creativity and my love of food and combine them. Charcuterie is considered an art.” Fresh flowers or seasonal garnishes accent her high-end meats and cheeses.

But it wasn’t until recently that Pellegrini thought of transforming her boards into a business. She’s currently a student at George Washington University where she majors in communications with a minor in creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Amid the pandemic, Pellegrini is learning remotely in her hometown of Hoboken. “I’ve lived here my entire life, all 20 years,” she says. (Her father is Hoboken Health and Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini.) She struggled to find a part-time job in the local restaurant industry, but no one was hiring.

That’s when she decided to put her education to work. Her minor inspired her to brainstorm a product or service that could be a good fit for the community. “Those courses helped me frame what I’m doing here,” Pellegrini says. “I’ve heard from countless, successful entrepreneurs who have come to speak. I was looking for ways that I could create an entrepreneurial venture of my own.”

Right Place, Right Time

Pellegrini had noticed that her charcuterie boards were becoming a culinary trend. If you search “charcuterie” on Instagram, you’ll find more than a million images of curated cured meats. Pellegrini thought that there could be a market for a delivery service that would bring picture-perfect boards directly to customers. Enter The Belle of the Boards. “When I first began, I wasn’t sure how long it would take for the business to get going, or if it would get going at all,” she says. “There were a lot of unknowns, but I just kept going.”

She wanted her product to be unique. “Anyone could make a board at home themselves, but I elevate it and make it more exciting,” Pellegrini says. She sources some of her ingredients locally and travels to specialty shops for interesting additions. “When it comes to presentation there was a lot of trial and error,” she says. “Some of them can take as much as two hours to create.”

delivers to outdoor events throughout Hudson County. “I’ve gotten really great feedback from my customers,” Pellegrini says. “They send me photos, almost immediately, of their guests enjoying the boards.”

Here’s to Hoboken

Next up for The Belle of the Boards are some new, sweeter offerings. For the winter holidays, she introduced cocoa and dessert boards. “I’ve been looking to work with some local bakeries,” Pellegrini says. “I’m very excited to start working with some other local small businesses. Hoboken is a great community for that.”

Instant Gratification

It seems like The Belle of the Boards has mastered the art. Pellegrini’s offerings include a Brunch Board that serves bagels, a trio of spreads, doughnuts, croissants, and fruits beautifully arranged on a rustic platter. Her most popular board is the Friends & Familia which features three meats and three cheeses presented with fruits and crackers. A board called Date Night In features two cheeses and one meat with fruit and crackers. Pellegrini’s boards are perfect for downsized social events in the age of COVID. Now that gatherings are smaller and more exclusive, so is the food. She

Pellegrini says that growing up in Hoboken around so many creative types pushed her toward her new venture. “Just being around so many people with an entrepreneurial spirit helped inspire me to create this for myself.” Check out Pellegrini’s charcuterie boards at @thebelleoftheboards on Instagram or at her website thebelleof theboards.com.—07030