We were lucky to catch up with Katie Carbery recently and have shared our conversation below.
Katie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.
Creating charcuterie and cheese boards around travel is different compared to others in the industry. I’m not saying it hasn’t been done (or that others don’t do it), but it isn’t common. It’s actually how I came up with the idea of my business. I noticed most of my competition looked the same, and I wanted to separate myself from the crowd. I also try to make items so that you receive a product you couldn’t just pick up at the grocery store, such as: a cranberry pistachio goat cheese log, pumpkin whipped feta, or bourbon balls. Another differentiator is that I put effort into supporting local and using organic products whenever possible. It isn’t an extra cost to my clients, it’s the standard!
All of these differences matter because I want my work to stand out, not fit in. I want my clients to see and feel how much effort goes into creating something for them, from researching the destination to designing the cheese to look a certain way to the packaging. There’s a lot of care and attention to detail goes into my process.
Katie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do? What are you most proud of?
I’m reaching 20 years of working in restaurants, and I have three generations before me that have been restauranteurs, chefs, or have worked in hospitality. It’s in my blood, and even with trying to escape it I realized this was my passion. This was how I wanted to give back to my community, by bringing people together through food. I bring Instagram and Pinterest charcuterie visions to life, and I make each client of mine look like the hostess with the mostess! We’re living in a charcuterie era, and while it’s beautiful to look at, not everyone wants to take the time to put it together. That’s where I come in.
I offer travel inspired charcuterie and tasting platters designed to bring a destination, event, or holiday to your fingertips! If you don’t have a theme in mind, I put together equally as beautiful and delicious “Staycations”. I create individual options such as Cups or Carry-Ons, Boards, and Grazing Tables. Cups are ideal for a group setting, think showers, parties, real estate showings, and open houses (business or personal). Carry-Ons are fabulous for picnics and travel, road-trip and flight tested and approved! Boards are sure to wow any guests whether it’s a date night or large party, and the show stoppers are the Grazing Tables. For this I would come to your home, vacation rental, venue, etc and design a beautiful charcuterie table arrangement with greenery and floral decor for you and your guests.
I’m most proud of bringing a child into this world, and building a business at the same time. I’m a new (first time) mom so there’s been a lot of adjusting and learning. I’m proud of getting out there, putting myself and business out into the universe, and being in the arena. It isn’t easy being a business owner, there are various jobs that need to be done on a daily basis to keep moving forward. Things also don’t always go as planned or wanted which can sometimes feel like a huge blow to my self-esteem. I’m proud of not letting those moments define me or keep me from pushing on, instead, I learn and grow.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I have to pivot all of the time in business. Even if I have an order placed ahead of time, there’s a chance it won’t be in stock or delivered when I need it. I aim to use fresh, local and seasonal products which can also be an issue if the demand is high. It’s good to have a back up plan because I don’t want to jeopardize the quality of my work. I recently had an order for my clients work holiday party, and what was out of stock? Rosemary. One of the main components of my boards. I changed direction and went with option 2: sage, it was beautiful and smelled amazing! As I was putting the order together in the kitchen space I work out of, someone from Tiger Mountain Foundation gave me freshly picked purple lettuce, dill, and pomegranates to add which completely elevated the board. Sometimes pivots can lead you in a better direction!
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
One of my favorite marketing stories is when I first introduced my Carry-Ons, individual charcuterie options. I wanted to make sure they could be taken on a flight, and to see how they held up. I decided I was going to make extra to give to the flight attendants on board as a “thank you for what you do” gift! After I had given them to the flight attendants, one announced what I did, the name of my business, and what the Carry-Ons were! It was like a dream come true! I ended up forming connections with other passengers on the flight, and got several orders from that moment!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://travelaboards.com/
- Instagram: @travelaboards
- Facebook: @travelaboards
Image Credits
Rhys Wilson