B.C. caterers break record for world's longest charcuterie board

After countless hours of work, countless pounds of meat, cheese, fruit and bread, and 485 feet of charcuterie board assembly, a B.C. catering company is now a world record holder.

The official Guinness World Record attempt at White Rock Pier Saturday was a success, and Sheila's Catering of South Surrey now holds the record for the "longest charcuterie platter/board."

"The previous record was 204 feet, so we more than doubled it," said Wes Lévesque, the company's co-owner and director of operations.

Lévesque said the company's full-time staff spent "about three days" assembling the 250 individual boards that were put together in a long line on the pier with the help of dozens of volunteers Saturday.

A refrigerated trailer kept the food cold during preparation, and a "commercial ice blanket" underneath the boards kept them chilled during the seven-hour Charcuterie on the Pier event.

A professional falconer was hired to keep seagulls away from the outdoor feast, and activities and entertainment were offered in nearby Memorial Park.

Net proceeds from the event – for which tickets started at $89 and rose as high as $189 for a VIP experience – will be donated to Sources food banks, Friends of the Pier and the Semiahmoo Rotary Club.

The charcuterie board was advertised as big enough to feed 1,200 people, and any usable food left over was slated to be donated to the food bank.

Lévesque expressed gratitude to the many companies that donated ingredients, and to the volunteers who donated their time.

Asked if Sheila's Catering had any plans to try to break its own record next year, he laughed, but didn't rule it out.

"This record was an amazing accomplishment for us," Lévesque said. "It was a lot of work. I'll probably need a couple months before I think about doing this again, but it's possible."