China Grove catering business offers charcuterie boards and ‘picking arrangements’
Published at 00:00 on Sunday, August 28, 2022
CHINA GROVE — When a local hairstylist faced the challenge of being closed for 10 weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to explore new uses for her skills.
After realizing her love for cooking, Olivia Carpenter launched her catering services with the Perfect Pluck in June 2021.
The new business was recently incorporated and offers custom charcuterie boards for events as well as what it calls “picking arrangements.” Its colorful fruit and vegetable inclusions pair perfectly with “charcuterie,” a French term for “charcuterie.”
The company’s goal was to sell five arrangements by the weekend of July 4, 2021. When the holidays rolled around, Carpenter surpassed that goal and sold 20. She and her husband, Corey, were spurred by this success to hire a commissioner’s kitchen to become the official affair. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, she keeps her schedule open for hair appointments, but the other days are reserved for weekend events and prep work for the Perfect Pluck.
“I had always made them for family and friends,” Olivia Carpenter said. “My husband and I also love to host at our home. I have always loved being in the kitchen and sharing it.
Last week, she learned that Perfect Pluck had been accepted to become a limited liability company.
She was a hairstylist for 13 years and seven years as a hair and makeup artist for weddings, a career path she decided to follow after trying to enroll in culinary school. However, with a program already complete, she attended cosmetology school instead. Part of this training taught him skills that could be used for decorative theory in his food arrangements.
“The rule is to always put things in threes,” she said. “If I have something red like three strawberries, I’ll think three of green would go with the pattern.”
Color theory to add dimension is the main lesson she learned as a hairstylist. Additionally, she shared that it’s always been a way for her to be creative with an art that has followed her since middle school. She recalled the afternoons she would come home to watch Rachel Ray on the Food Network and cook meals as a teenager. Italian and grilled dishes were among his favorites to prepare.
Perfect Pluck’s kitchen is at the Nunya Commissary in Concord, where she and Corey cook, assemble, and distribute the charcuterie boards. Most of the time, she stays in the kitchen while her husband makes the deliveries.
They cover the Kannapolis and China Grove areas. Olivia also said there is no delivery charge, but most customers decide to pick up from her.
She said they purchased a food truck that will be used for pre-made charcuterie board purchases and custom orders. This is the next business project and Olivia hopes to have it up and running by next spring.
You will find boxes and pre-made plucking boards on perfectpluck.com while restore requests can be emailed to info@theperfectpluck.com
