Inspiring Conversations with McKenna Lelah of HandPicked

Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenna Lelah.

Hi McKenna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I never really excelled in school, but I always knew I loved cooking and wanted to pursue a career in food. I worked a few cooking jobs during high school and college before moving from Orange County to LA in 2014, where I became a line cook at Osteria Mozza. That’s also where I met my now husband, Matthew Kim. Working alongside Nancy Silverton at the mozzarella bar introduced me to the beauty of seasonal produce and farmers market-driven cooking.

I later went on to work at Otium with Tim Hollingsworth and at Dialogue with Dave Beran in 2017. Since Dialogue sat above the Santa Monica Farmers Market, I spent every week shopping for the restaurant’s seasonal tasting menu. That experience completely changed the way I viewed food. I fell in love with the farmers market community, the relationships with growers, and the care farmers put into working with nature to grow flavorful, nourishing food for our community.

In March 2020, I started Handpicked, supplying local restaurants with farmers market produce. Today, my background in professional kitchens and my deep connection to food allow me to provide a level of service that I hope truly resonates with my customers and supports their day-to-day work in the kitchen.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. I started Handpicked in March 2020 and lost all of my accounts within just a few days as restaurants shut down. I had to pivot quickly and began supplying households with farmers market produce boxes, which helped keep the business going. As restaurants slowly reopened, I rebuilt the business little by little.

Today, one of the biggest challenges is that you’re always working alongside Mother Nature. Farming is unpredictable, and balancing the realities of seasonality and availability with the needs of chefs and restaurants can be incredibly challenging. But that connection and the people growing our food is also what makes the work so meaningful.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about HandPicked ?
Handpicked sources local farmers market produce and distributes it to restaurants throughout the LA area. The farmers we work with travel from over 300 miles away, often starting their days at midnight to make it to market, so they typically don’t have the capacity to deliver directly to restaurants. That’s where we come in, acting as a bridge between farmers and chefs.

Each week, we provide our customers with an availability list of more than 300 seasonal items and work closely with chefs to help build menus around what’s growing and tasting best at the moment. Because of my background working in professional kitchens, I understand the day-to-day needs of chefs and try to provide a level of service and communication that makes their lives easier. I make myself available to my customers at all times because restaurants never really stop — there are always last-minute menu changes, special requests, or unexpected challenges that come up.

What sets Handpicked apart is the quality of the produce we source and the relationships we’ve built over the years, both with the farmers at the market and with our customers. I’m most proud of the trust we’ve cultivated and the ability to connect restaurants with truly special ingredients while supporting the farmers who grow them.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Dave Beran has been an incredibly important mentor throughout my career. He introduced me to the farmers market in a deeper way and gave me the freedom at Dialogue to shop the market and help shape the menu. That experience completely changed the way I think about food, seasonality, and relationships with farmers, and it ultimately laid the foundation for Handpicked.

The farmers themselves also deserve so much credit for the success of the business. Their hard work, dedication, and knowledge are endlessly inspiring to me. The relationships we’ve built over the years are at the heart of everything we do, and their willingness to share their craft and passion is what makes this business possible.

And of course, my team has been incredible. Last year, when I had my baby and opened a restaurant (Lapaba with my husband, Matt), they truly held everything down for me. Their love for the market and commitment to our customers allowed us to continue operating at the same level of care and service, even when I couldn’t physically be there every day myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.handpickedbymckenna.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handpickedbymckenna/

Image Credits
Emily Ferretti (photo of me with the artichokes)