Charlotte resident Kate McGee is a full-time assistant principal, food blogger and social-media expert. More recently, she added charcutier to her list of talents.
Last February, McGee launched CLT.Charcuterie out of her home. She strives to provide a customized approach to the meat-and-cheese boards, with events ranging from baby showers to holidays to graduation parties. All-cheese or vegan board options are also available. This past year, McGee averaged 21 orders a month.
"It was just one of those things where I was like, 'I can do this,'" McGee said. "I think it's a creative outlet, which I don't always realize I know I need. ... It's funny because I don't actually consider myself a creative person. I never have."
There were no big overhead costs to launch CLT.Charcuterie. McGee doesn't have any employees — and doesn't plan to. She sources her ingredients from local grocery stores.
CLT.Charcuterie offers multiple options — a small board for two to three people at $40; a large board for four to eight people at $70; a small party board for 10-20 people at $110; a large party board for 20-30 people at $220; and cups and cones at $7 to $12 each. There is an additional fee for delivery.
Instagram is the main hub for CLT.Charcuterie, McGee said. She opted not to have a website to keep operations more streamlined and personal. Her account is up to 2,400 followers. She networks and runs promotions through Instagram, drawing on connections made through her Roast N Relish account for local food businesses. McGee also credits the social-media platform with helping her gain new ideas.
McGee said she wants to keep CLT.Charcuterie as a part-time project. She loves her job as an assistant principal. McGee still blogs twice a month and runs social media for Charlotte Food Bloggers.
So, how does she handle it all? Scheduling, prioritizing — and lots of caffeine. McGee said she is open to new product ideas and also hosting classes.
"You constantly are learning, right? Like, what's a cool new technique on something you could try on a board?" McGee said. "I want it to stay manageable by me, but I do have a little bit of room to grow as far as capacity throughout the year."
