Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Barreau.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
LuvMi Charcuterie was born out of my love of food and for entertaining my loved ones with food. I am a Taurus, after all! My name is pronounced the French way (Mee-shell), and I am the Mi in LuvMi Charcuterie.
Making charcuterie and cheese boards for my family and friends has always been my thing even before it was ‘a thing’. I love cheese, charcuterie, and all the yummy accoutrements that accompany them. I find so much joy introducing people to new artisan cheeses, discovering a new way to pair charcuterie with those cheeses, and seeing the faces of people who enjoy my boards and graze tables is priceless!
I like to call myself a food stylist and here’s my thought: Just as much as we love to eat food that tastes good, we also love to eat food that looks good, too. The most enjoyable food experience engages all of our senses and oftentimes begins the moment you lay your eyes on what you’re going to eat. When someone walks into an event and is greeted by one of my graze tables, the oohhs and aahhs are always followed by “this is too beautiful to eat!’ but, after that first person dives in, the rest is history – literally. I love when I get the opportunity to see an empty graze table that I prepared. Knowing that people not only relish in the beauty of it but, also all of the wonderful tastes that I put together and then, devour everything in sight – this is what makes me happy.
My story starts one evening, two years ago, when I got a text from Yonnine Garr of Chase Skye Realty Group inquiring about the price of two charcuterie boards for an upcoming twilight open house that she was hosting. I was floored! Someone wants to BUY my charcuterie boards? Things moved quickly from there. My daughter, Naomi, who works with me recorded the making of the boards and before the night was over, she launched my social media pages. LuvMi Charcuterie was born! These past two years as a charcuterie business owner has been pretty amazing. Sometimes I look back at my older charcuterie boards and I kinda cringe – lol! But I have learned so much over the past two years and have refined my style. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on myself though. They were great at the time! Now, I prefer to use more artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers’ markets, and I also choose to support small businesses in the supplies that I purchase as well. I have created boards and graze tables for some awesome clients and I also teach the art of charcuterie and cheese board making at my Charcuterie & Sip workshops. These are a guaranteed great time! I am now working and thriving in a position that is truly my passion. Life is good.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While I feel incredibly blessed to have my own business, I’ve come to realize that, like any entrepreneurial journey, this life comes with its fair share of challenges. Two of the biggest hurdles I face are navigating social media and managing my business after high seasonal demand. The holidays are always so busy with orders but, January shows up and it can be scarily slow. This year I had only one order in January compared to over a dozen orders and several events just the month before. I found myself in a position where I had to pause and seriously think—beyond the power of word-of-mouth and the seasonal influx of orders, how can I ensure that my business stays relevant and in the spotlight throughout the entire year? That’s when Naomi pointed out the importance of using all of the amazing free marketing that social media gives a small business like mine. It is crucial to build my social media presence and foster genuine community interest and engagement. Whether it’s creating fun and appealing TikTok’s, putting together Instagram reels for each event that I am hired for, or spotlighting my custom merchandise for sale, posting regular content is key. Although I’m still working on perfecting this aspect of the business, I can already see the positive impact it’s having. With each post, interaction, and new connection, I see my efforts paying off. I am meeting so many people who either already loved charcuterie and cheese boards and like what I’m doing in this space or people who have discovered it through me and now want to order. It’s a process, but it’s one that’s opening up more and more opportunities for me, and I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities ahead!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In the short journey of LuvMi Charcuterie, I’ve had the incredible pleasure of being hired for some pretty memorable events. It’s been such a rewarding experience to now see my charcuterie enjoyed by strangers. One day I was in Trader Joe’s and a man recognized me from an event that served my charcuterie. He was so anxious to introduce me to his wife and tell her that I am the person he had been talking about. That was such an awesome moment! Another highlight was being chosen as the food vendor for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course. This was truly an historic event that allowed me to share my passion with a crowd of local officials including LA County Board of Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell, and so many people who live and work in the community. I also had the honor of being the food vendor for the Guild of Music Supervisors Conference, held this year at West LA College. We prepared for 450 people that day and I have a picture of only one charcuterie cup left at the end of the night! LuvMi Charcuterie’s biggest event to date was the 15th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Ceremony at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. At the end of the night, I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs “Jeff Goldblum ate my charcuterie boats!” What a night! Each event has brought new challenges, learning experiences, and connections, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me next!
LuvMi Charcuterie offers charcuterie boards and boxes in several sizes, themes, and varieties. Options include cheese only, pork free, crudites, and vegan friendly. I gladly work with my clients for specialty orders and themed events. Our boards feed from 2 to 20 people. For larger gatherings, our stunning graze tables easily become the star of the show. Clients can choose our Ultimate Flat Lay graze or the Amazing Graze, which offers a more dramatic effect with added height and dimension. Charcuterie cups and crudité boats are also perfect individual offerings for large or small affairs. I mentioned my Charcuterie & Sip workshops earlier and have to reiterate that they are super fun and a total vibe! I tailor them for any occasion – from company team building, to couples’ date night, to bridal showers and girls’ nights – a time will be had! This summer, LuvMi Charcuterie will launch our charcuterie cart. This will be perfect for receptions, special events, literally any type of party where you want to WOW your guests. The goal is for LuvMi Charcuterie to be the premiere charcuterie and cheeseboard company in the city.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can connect with me to place orders via my website, we can start a chat via email or social media direct messaging, or by calling me directly. I like speaking to my clients so I can get a good feel for what they want and to give them as much input as they’d like. I want every client to absolutely love what they order and feel confident that an order from LuvMi Charcuterie will always impress. Side note to everyone reading this: it’s super easy to support a small business without ever making a purchase. Write a positive review, follow them on social media, engage with their posts, and share their content. Don’t get me wrong – the purchases are what we’re in it for but, this type of support really means so much to a small business owner. So many of my clients are referrals and return customers, and I genuinely appreciate that. It’s not lost on me that my name is spoken in rooms where I am not present and that feels so good!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.luvmicharcuterie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luvmi.charcuterie
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/michelle.barreautramel/
Image Credits
Michelle Barreau Tramel
Naomi Tramel
@shotbywriggz
