A Week in the Life of a Boss: Charcuterie, Chaos, and the Secret Life of a Caterer
Okay you guys, buckle up because this week has been... well, let me just say if chaos was an Olympic sport, I'd be taking home gold for Team USA. Like, multiple golds. And maybe a few silvers just for good measure.
So here I am on Sunday night (because of course I'm working on Sunday night), trying to decompress from what can only be described as Christmas week on steroids, and I thought hmm you know what? Y'all deserve to know what actually happens behind the scenes at Graze. Because apparently even my husband doesn't fully grasp the beautiful disaster that is my daily existence, so why should anyone else? 😅
Monday: The Calm Before the Storm (JK There Was No Calm)
Monday started innocently enough. I had my coffee, checked my phone, and immediately wanted to throw said phone into the Concord River. The charcuterie orders were rolling in faster than I could process them, which is amazing don't get me wrong, but also… help? I had two helpers who were amazing as usual so I’m SUPER grateful for them!
The thing about running a catering business during the holidays is that everyone suddenly remembers they need food for their parties approximately 12 hours before their event. It's like collective amnesia hits the entire town of Chelmsford every December.
But here's where it gets interesting and by interesting I mean completely bonkers. I started getting these private jet orders. Like, actual private jets. I’ve had them here and there since 2019 but I JUST started getting an influx. Like every day orders which is good but it’s not really close to Chelmsford so driving to Bedford or North Andover is not super fun but it’s something exciting and new! People ordering charcuterie boards for their flights, and I'm over here trying not to hyperventilate because HELLO, that's pretty damn cool! I'm making cheese boards that are literally flying around the country. My salami is more well-traveled than I am at this point. I have an 8AM order going to Hanscom tomorrow PLUS meal prep delivery so we’ll see how that goes.. a little stressed.
Tuesday-Wednesday: Plot Twist Enters the Chat
So remember how I was feeling all accomplished about the private jet thing? Yeah, well, the universe decided to humble me real quick because Tuesday morning I woke up feeling like I got hit by a truck. Turns out the calendar had other plans—rush orders, supplier curveballs, and a printer that chose violence at 8:01 AM.
But did I stop working? Of course not! Because I'm either incredibly dedicated or incredibly silly.. jury's still out on that one. I'm literally assembling charcuterie boards at warp speed, sanitizing like it was my job... which, technically, it is.
On Wednesday I send out the meal prep menu and those orders kept coming in too, because apparently everyone in Chelmsford decided this was the week to get their life together nutritionally. 😆Meanwhile, I'm over here living off cold brew and whatever cheese scraps I can sneak between orders. Thankfully, everyone picked up their cheeseboards by noon that day because I try to make the Cancer Center a board for the holidays at Lowell General. Dad would approve! Lovely staff there btw.
Thursday: Peak Chaos Mode Activated
Thursday was when things got really spicy. I had three major catering orders due the day after Christmas and approximately 847 charcuterie boards to finish (okay maybe it was more like 4 but it felt like 847), and I was still fighting off an avalanche of to do’s.
The private jet orders kept coming in, which honestly was the one bright spot keeping me going. There's something so surreal about knowing your carefully crafted meat and cheese arrangements are going to be cruising at 30,000 feet. Do the crackers taste different in the stratosphere though?
I managed to squeeze in exactly one hour of family time, which consisted of me collapsing on the couch while my 3 year old climbed all over me like I was some sort of human jungle gym. Quality time looks different when you're running on fumes and iced coffee, but hey, we take what we can get. I’m getting my days mixed up I think but I did spend some quality time at my in-laws Christmas morning and went to my brother’s in the afternoon.
Friday: The Day That Almost Broke Me
Friday was supposed to be my one-ish day off. And by one-ish day off, I mean I only worked for about 4 hours instead of my usual 12. Progress, right?
The catering orders were due, which meant I was up at 5 AM doing final preps. But then plot twist! More orders came in for the weekend. Because apparently word got out about the girl who makes cheese boards while held together by caffeine and vibes, and everyone wanted in on that action.
I'm running around my kitchen like a caffeinated squirrel, trying to coordinate pickup times, answer texts about dietary restrictions, and figure out how to fit everything in my car.
Saturday-Sunday: More Plot Twists and Private Jets
Saturday was actually kind of beautiful in its chaos. More private jet orders came through (I'm telling you, this is my new favorite thing). The thing nobody tells you about running a food business is that you become a master of multitasking in the weirdest ways. Like, I can dice onions while answering emails, arrange charcuterie while reading Winnie the Pooh to my kidddo who gets dragged to work with me and apparently fend off inbox avalanches while maintaining my sanity (barely). I actually have a manger for that now!
My husband still doesn't fully get it. He sees me in at work and thinks I'm just "doing some work," not realizing that I'm simultaneously coordinating three different delivery times, calculating profit margins in my head, responding to Instagram DMs, and trying to remember if I already added the cornichons to order #47.
Tomorrow's Adventure: Deliveries and Lunch Dates
So here I am, Sunday night, mentally prepping for tomorrow's deliveries while trying to figure out how I'm going to squeeze in lunch with my mom and friends. Because somehow, between running a business that apparently never sleeps and being a functional human being, I'm supposed to maintain relationships too.
The beauty of this whole thing? Nobody really knows how much goes on behind the scenes. It's like being a swan..serene on the surface, but underneath those webbed feet are paddling like crazy. Except instead of webbed feet, it's me frantically texting suppliers at midnight and stress eating my own inventory.
But you know what? Despite the chaos, the 5 AM mornings, and the fact that my husband thinks I just "play with cheese" all day, I love this crazy life.
The private jet orders alone have made this whole week worth it. Plus, tomorrow I get lunch with my mom, and she actually DOES understand the hustle because she and my dad are the ones who taught me how to work this hard in the first place.
To anyone out there thinking about starting their own food business, just know that it's equal parts exhausting and exhilarating. You'll question your sanity daily, but then someone will text you a photo of their family enjoying your food, or you'll get an order for a PRIVATE JET, and suddenly all the chaos makes sense.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have more deliveries to prep and somehow need to make myself presentable for lunch tomorrow. Because apparently there's more to life than charcuterie... or so I've been told.
If you're in Chelmsford and need catering that's made with love, caffeine, and just a touch of beautiful chaos, hit us up. I promise your order won't fly away on a private jet... unless that's what you're into. 😉
XX,
Abby
Song of the day: Lovedrug- Pink Champagne
