The Igourmet Approach to Entertaining
Entertaining well is not about having more — it's about having the right things. A Champagne cocktail hour paired with a Truffle Cheese Assortment sets a tone no generic snack tray can match, and a three-cheese spread of properly chosen cheeses reads as more generous than a grocery-store platter with eight mediocre ones. The point of a gourmet entertaining catalog is to hand the host everything they need, already chosen and portioned, so the evening runs on the quality of the ingredients rather than the effort of the shopping.
Igourmet works directly with over 100 producers across cheese, charcuterie, caviar, and specialty pantry — Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, Cypress Grove in California, Fermin and Covap in Spain, Broadleaf for Australian Wagyu, and dozens more. The entertaining catalog pulls selectively from that 550+ cheese depth and the full butcher and pantry ranges, assembled into formats sized for specific scenarios. For shoppers who want the full breadth beyond entertaining formats, the full cheese counter carries the complete 550+ cheese range.
Shopping the Entertaining Catalog by Occasion
The catalog is organized around eight formats, each built for a specific type of gathering. For full parties feeding 10 to 20 guests, Gourmet Party Assortments cover themed sets spanning French, Spanish tapas, California, and game day. For intimate cocktail-hour entertaining where cheese pairs with a glass in hand, Cocktail Hour Assortments lead with wine-matched sets including Champagne, Rosé, and varietal-specific pairings. For smaller gatherings served from a wooden or slate board, Cheese Board Kits and Charcuterie Board Kits ship ready-to-serve with boards and accompaniments together.
Beyond the assortments and kits, the catalog covers the supporting formats that round out any event. Caviar and specialty seafood anchor upscale and year-end celebrations. Party Cakes, Desserts and Treats handle the sweet close. Gourmet Party Staples cover the crackers, jams, olives, and accompaniments that extend any spread, and Entertaining Serveware provides the boards and knives that turn good food into good presentation. For shoppers sending a ready-to-ship gift rather than self-hosting, the full gourmet gift baskets and boxes collection covers the broader gift catalog across every price point.
Sourcing and Quality — What Sets Igourmet Apart
Igourmet has been shipping specialty food direct to customers across the United States since 1997, working with the farms and producers who make the food rather than with distributors wherever possible. A cheese ordered from igourmet is the same cheese a fine cheesemonger in Boston or San Francisco would stock, often from the same producer — Jasper Hill's Harbison, Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue. The principle runs through the rest of the catalog: Iberico ham from Fermin and Covap in Spain, prosciutto from La Quercia in Iowa, Australian Wagyu from Broadleaf, truffle products shipped direct from Italy. For the butcher side specifically, the full butcher and meats collection covers 550+ fresh and cured products across every cuisine.
Every perishable item ships in temperature-controlled packaging with insulated liners and non-toxic frozen gel packs — never via standard ground shipping. Delivery can be scheduled for a specific date at checkout, which matters for dinner parties and gift occasions where timing has to match the event. Gift messages, gift packaging, and multi-address shipping are available for hosts and clients sending to multiple recipients.
Also Worth Exploring
For shoppers building entertaining around a specific cuisine — French, Italian, Spanish, or otherwise — the full cheese assortments collection covers tasting sets across every regional tradition. For the complete gifting catalog beyond entertaining formats, the top gourmet food gifts collection features the best-sellers across every category and price point. For corporate gifting and client appreciation at scale, the corporate gifts program handles volume and personalization.
Gourmet Entertaining: Frequently Asked Questions
Igourmet is a specialty food retailer that has been shipping cheese, charcuterie, caviar, fresh meats, and gourmet pantry products across the United States since 1997. The full catalog covers over 550 cheeses from more than 100 producers worldwide, chef-quality fresh meats including Australian Wagyu and grass-fed organic beef, imported Spanish Iberico ham and chorizo, premium caviar, truffle products, and the pantry essentials needed to complete serious cooking and entertaining. Beyond individual ingredients, the catalog includes ready-to-ship gift baskets, cheese and charcuterie board kits, party assortments for crowds of 10 to 20 guests, and corporate gifting programs. Customers range from home cooks and hosts to professional chefs and corporate teams managing client appreciation at scale. The entertaining catalog on this page is a focused subset built for hosts and gift-givers working around social events.
Igourmet works directly with over 100 producers across the United States and Europe, sourcing from the farms and creameries that make the products rather than through distributors wherever possible. American cheese partners include Jasper Hill Farm, Cypress Grove, Rogue Creamery, Point Reyes, Vermont Creamery, Plymouth Artisan Cheese, Cato Corner Farm, and Deer Creek. European cheese partners include Baldauf (Germany), Beemster and Artikaas (Netherlands), Isigny and Fromager d'Affinois (France), and Kerrygold (Ireland). For charcuterie, suppliers include Fermin, Covap, Finca Helechal, Dehesa Cordobesa, and 5J from Spain; La Quercia, Olympia Provisions, Creminelli, and Smoking Goose from the US; and Fratelli Beretta from Italy. Fresh meats come from Broadleaf (Australian Wagyu), Blackwing Quality Meats (grass-fed organic beef and bison), Rangers Valley (premium Wagyu), and Chateau Royal (small-batch French sausages). Every product is traceable to a specific producer and region — the core difference between igourmet and grocery-store specialty sections or generic gift-basket retailers.