Build A Catalan Charcuterie Cheese Board & Wine Pairing (V/VG Options)

Come hungry for Catalan flavor. This two-hour evening workshop at Savour Academy combines local cured meats, Spanish cheeses, seasonal produce, and wine in a relaxed class that does not require cooking skill. You build the board yourself, then sit down and eat it as a full meal.

I especially like the hands-on format and the chance to taste ingredients from Catalonia instead of simply ordering a cheese plate at a restaurant. I also like the small maximum of 10 people, which gives Zara room to explain the ingredients and answer questions. The main drawback is the price: at $106.04 per person, it is a special-occasion activity rather than a cheap dinner.

The experience is led by Zara, a long-time Barcelona resident with a WSET Level 2 wine certificate and a sommelier diploma from the Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona. She has run her academy since 2017, and the evening also includes stories about Barcelona, wine-pairing guidance, and vegetarian or vegan options by request.

Key points at a glance

• You build the entire board yourself: Learn how to arrange cured meats, cheeses, preserves, fruit, vegetables, dried fruit, and crackers.
• The food becomes dinner: You eat the finished board after the workshop, so this is more substantial than a quick tasting.
• Wine pairing is part of the lesson: Zara explains why different wines work with particular ingredients.
• The setting stays small: A maximum of 10 people makes the session more personal and easier to follow.
• Vegetarian and vegan options are possible: Ask about these choices before booking or attending.
• The workshop begins at 8:00 pm: It fits neatly into an evening in Barcelona and ends back at the academy.

What the two-hour evening is really like

This is a no-cooking cooking class. That phrase matters. You will not spend the evening chopping, frying, or worrying about whether something has burned. Instead, the focus is on choosing, arranging, and pairing food.

You learn how to turn separate ingredients into a board that looks generous and inviting. That makes the class suitable for someone who enjoys food but does not feel confident in a kitchen. It also works well for experienced home cooks who want fresh ideas for a dinner party.

The mood is social, but the activity gives the evening some structure. You are not simply sitting through a lecture while wine is poured. You help create the meal, then enjoy the result with the group. That shared task is one reason the experience can work well for friends, couples, and small celebrations.

The class is offered in English. Since the group is capped at 10 people, you should have a reasonable chance to hear the explanations and ask about unfamiliar products. The small format also matters if you are interested in wine. Pairing questions are easier to ask here than in a large food tour with several dozen people.

Starting at Savour Academy in Sants-Montjuïc

The meeting point is Savour Academy, at Carrer del Farell, 12, bajos, in Barcelona’s Sants-Montjuïc district. The workshop begins at 8:00 pm and finishes at the same location.

This is useful planning information. You are not being dropped in one neighborhood and left to find your way back after drinking wine. The round-trip format keeps the evening simple, though you should allow time to reach the academy before the start time.

The location is near public transportation, but the supplied details do not name a particular station or route. Check your own route before leaving. With an evening start, arriving early is sensible, especially if you are unfamiliar with Sants-Montjuïc.

The venue itself is the academy, not a market, winery, or restaurant. That means the class is centered on instruction and participation. You will not be touring a food hall or visiting several bars. If you want a moving city tour, this will feel too stationary. If you want a calm evening devoted to Catalan food and wine, the format makes good sense.

Building the Catalan board, one ingredient at a time

The workshop introduces you to Barcelona embotidos, the local tradition of cured meats. These are served alongside Spanish and Catalan cheeses, giving you a useful comparison between two important parts of the region’s food culture.

You also work with local preserves, seasonal fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, and crackers. The value here is not only in tasting each item. You learn how different textures, colors, sweetness, saltiness, and acidity can be brought together on one board.

The visual side is part of the lesson. A charcuterie board can taste good and still look careless. Zara shows you how to arrange the ingredients into something that feels generous and attractive, which is practical knowledge you can use at home.

This is especially useful if you host friends but tend to buy ingredients without knowing how to combine them. The goal is not a rigid recipe. You leave with a method: balance the board, vary the textures, and think about what each ingredient contributes.

The seasonal element also keeps the food tied to the place and time of year. The exact selection may change, so you should not expect one fixed menu on every date. That flexibility is a strength for freshness, though anyone with strict food preferences should ask what will be served.

Local cured meats and Catalan cheeses

The food list begins with Barcelona embotidos and Spanish and Catalan cheeses. These are not decorative extras. They form the center of the meal and give you a chance to compare products from the region.

For many visitors, a guided tasting adds context that a restaurant menu does not. You might recognize the basic categories of cured meat and cheese, but still be unsure how to serve them together. The class shows you how the pieces work as part of a larger spread.

The preserves help cut through the salt and richness of the cured meats. Seasonal fruit and vegetables bring freshness, while dried fruit and crackers add sweetness and crunch. Each part has a job, and that is what makes the board feel like a meal instead of a pile of snacks.

The supplied menu calls each category a starter, but the finished board is described as enough for a meal. You should still think of it as a grazing-style dinner, not a formal multi-course restaurant meal. If you prefer a large hot entrée, this activity may not satisfy you in the same way.

Wine pairing with practical lessons

Wine is not simply added to make the evening festive. Zara explains how to pair wine with the ingredients on the board and gives you several wines to try.

That pairing lesson is the strongest reason to choose this class over buying a cheese plate on your own. You can pay attention to how a wine changes when tasted with cheese, cured meat, fruit, or preserves. The point is not to memorize complicated rules. It is to understand enough to make better choices at your own table.

Zara’s formal wine training supports this part of the experience. Her WSET Level 2 certificate and sommelier diploma from the Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona suggest a structured foundation, while her long residence in Barcelona brings a local angle.

The amount of wine means you should plan the rest of your evening sensibly. The session begins at 8:00 pm, and the food is intended to provide sustenance, but this is still a wine tasting. You may want to avoid scheduling a demanding late-night activity afterward.

The pairing advice also gives the experience value beyond the evening itself. You can use the ideas when planning a party, shopping for a Spanish dinner, or deciding what to serve with a cheese course. That take-home usefulness helps justify the higher price.

The social side, from quiet tasting to group celebration

The group limit of 10 is one of the clearest advantages. A class this size can feel friendly without becoming chaotic. You have room to work on the board, listen to Zara, and chat with the people around you.

The atmosphere appears suited to groups of friends. One private booking for a bachelorette celebration created an intimate, relaxed setting, with plenty to eat and drink. Group discounts are available, which may help if you are organizing a small party.

The academy also hosts other workshops, including sangria and tapas sessions. That wider program tells you the evening is part of a food-and-drink teaching space, not a one-off restaurant event. Still, you should book this particular experience for the charcuterie and wine pairing, not for a sangria lesson. The workshops are separate activities.

The tone is likely informal and sociable. Past comments about Zara and Kiki describe an easygoing style with plenty of laughter, but Kiki’s role is associated with other classes rather than clearly with this board workshop. Zara is the named host for the charcuterie experience, so she is the person to expect for the main instruction.

Vegetarian and vegan planning

Vegetarian and vegan versions are available by request. This is important, because the standard menu includes cured meats and cheeses, both of which are central to the usual format.

Ask about your dietary option before you arrive. The information does not provide a detailed alternative menu, so you should not assume that every item will be replaced in the same way. The note about plentiful vegetable choices suggests the board can be adapted, but the exact ingredients depend on the arrangement.

For vegetarians, the experience may retain much of its original character through cheeses, preserves, fruit, vegetables, dried fruit, and crackers. For vegans, the cheese and meat components would need to be replaced, so advance communication is particularly important.

This flexibility makes the workshop more appealing for mixed groups. One person does not necessarily have to skip the activity because others want a traditional Catalan board. Just make the request clear when arranging the booking.

Is $106.04 a fair price?

At $106.04 per person, this is not a bargain dinner. You are paying for a small-group class, wine tastings, instruction, a meal made during the session, and access to Zara’s food and wine experience.

The price makes more sense if you value participation. A restaurant cheese board might cost less, but it would not teach you how to choose and arrange the ingredients. A standard wine tasting might offer more formal tasting notes, but it would not send you home with a practical board-building method.

The value also improves for a special occasion or a private group, especially if a group discount applies. Friends can share the social cost of the evening, and the activity gives you something to do together rather than simply sitting at a table.

For a solo visitor on a strict budget, I would compare this with a less expensive tapas meal. For a food-focused visit, a couple celebrating an evening in Barcelona, or someone who likes bringing home useful cooking ideas, the fee is easier to defend.

The most honest way to view the price is as dinner plus a workshop. If you only want to eat, it is expensive. If you want to learn, taste, and build the meal yourself, it becomes a more reasonable splurge.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to people who enjoy Spanish food but want more direction than a restaurant meal provides. It is also a good choice if you like wine but do not want an overly formal tasting.

The workshop suits:

• Couples looking for an evening food activity
• Friends who want a social Barcelona experience
• Small groups celebrating a special occasion
• Home entertainers who want board-building ideas
• Visitors who prefer a seated activity over a long walking tour
• People who cannot cook but enjoy learning about food

I would be more cautious if you need a hot meal, dislike cured meat and cheese, or want a full tour of Barcelona. The event stays at the academy, lasts about two hours, and centers on assembling food rather than cooking it.

The rating shown for the experience is 4.3 from eight reviews, but the written feedback includes several comments about other Savour Academy classes, including sangria and tapas sessions. One clearly unrelated complaint was also directed to the academy by mistake. I would treat the rating as a general signal about the business, not a precise score for this one workshop.

Booking, timing, and cancellation advice

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the activity requires a minimum number of people, it can be canceled if that minimum is not reached. In that case, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the 8:00 pm start time. Cancellations or changes made inside that window are not refunded or accepted. Since the activity includes wine and a prepared meal, plan your evening carefully before making a nonrefundable last-minute commitment.

A mobile ticket is available, and service animals are allowed. The venue is near public transportation. The maximum group size is 10, which is worth confirming if you particularly want the intimate format.

Should you book the Catalan charcuterie workshop?

Book it if you want a social food lesson, a Catalan-style meal, and wine guidance in one compact evening. The best part is the practical balance: you learn how to build an attractive board, then eat your work instead of watching someone else cook.

Skip it if you are seeking a low-cost dinner, a walking tour, or a traditional hot cooking class. At $106.04, the experience needs to deliver more than food, and it does so through the instruction, small group, wine pairing, and take-home ideas.

For most food-focused visitors, I would call it a worthwhile Barcelona splurge, especially for a small group or special occasion. Ask about vegetarian or vegan arrangements in advance, arrive ready for an 8:00 pm start, and think of the evening as dinner with a useful lesson attached.

FAQ

Where does the workshop take place?

It takes place at Savour Academy, Carrer del Farell, 12, bajos, in the Sants-Montjuïc district of Barcelona, Spain.

What time does the experience start?

The workshop starts at 8:00 pm.

How long does the experience last?

The activity lasts approximately two hours.

Where does the experience end?

It ends back at the meeting point at Savour Academy.

What language is the workshop offered in?

The experience is offered in English.

How many people can join the workshop?

The maximum group size is 10 travelers.

Is food included?

Yes. You build a charcuterie and cheese board and then eat it as a meal. The menu includes cured meats, Spanish and Catalan cheeses, preserves, seasonal fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, and crackers.

Are vegetarian or vegan options available?

Vegetarian and vegan options are available by request. Ask about them before attending.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded.