Passions for food and art combine at this Centre County catering company

The charcuterie boards created by Grazing Happy Valley for weddings and others special events across Centre County started as a hobby for Kelley Scheirer, who describes herself as a foodie with a strong interest in art.

Scheirer said charcuterie boards became her go-to to bring to a party or an event, and she would often theme her boards around the event. Her sister-in-law was the first one to broach the idea of turning the hobby into a business.

Still, Scheirer wasn’t quite sure a business venture was in the cards. Then, after crafting a charcuterie spread for a friend’s wedding, she saw the possibilities.

“It was the prettiest thing, so I was like, ‘You know what? I can make a business of this’,” she said. Initially, she just intended to focus on weddings and related events, such as bridal showers, supporting brides and grooms on their big days. However, over time, she began to get requests to host charcuterie workshops and provide grazing boards for other events as well, such as baby showers.

Today, Grazing Happy Valley — which Scheirer officially founded in April with some help from the Penn State Small Business Development Center — offers both grazing tables and create-your-own-charcuterie tables for events and parties, as well as charcuterie workshops at area wineries.

For wedding services, Scheirer meets with couples for an in-person consultation, to get a better sense of their vision for their celebration. Then, she creates a list of items that might appear on the couple’s grazing board, for their approval. Scheirer puts this list together based on factors such as the couple’s preferences and dietary needs, but also their wedding colors and/or theme.

“I get really into it,” she said. “I’m really passionate about it. I love it, and I want them to love it, too, and be part of the process.”

After a couple’s approval, Scheirer begins sourcing her ingredients, trying to focus on locally sourced products where possible, such as produce from Way Fruit Farm, cheese from Goot Essa or honey from Lost Hollow Honey. Then, she arrives at the event and crafts the client’s grazing table.

“I have one bride that’s doing a masquerade ball after her wedding, so I’m playing on darker colors — really fun, bold colors — on the board,” she described of current projects. “Then I also have one booked for a bridal party for the day after the wedding, for a brunch bar ... I’m doing a bridal shower soon [that’s] Bridgerton-themed, so kind of upscale, when you think about really beautiful dishes and those bright, white colors, maybe light pinks. I’ve done Halloween parties where I’ve gone in and done a whole tabletop of darker colors and maybe some creepy fruits ... that you’ve never had before.”

During Scheirer’s charcuterie workshops, which are held seasonally at University Wine Company and Seven Mountains Wine Cellars, attendees pay a flat fee that includes the charcuterie experience and typically one beverage. Scheirer takes participants through each ingredient, discussing flavors and pairings, and instructing them in how to cut certain cheeses and how to create decorative elements by, say, turning a slice of salami into a rose.

Attendees are left with a grazing to-go container that they can take home, and then they can graze off a larger board and mingle with the group.

For Scheirer, the opportunity to work with the broader community at events like these, as well as while supporting engaged couples and their families, is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the business.

“It started because I love food and I love art, but the biggest part of the two is the community aspect,” she said. “You can literally have a conversation with anyone in a room about how interesting a food can be.”

Scheirer’s day job is still working in human resources with Target, but she sees Grazing Happy Valley growing further, with opportunities to expand into board delivery, holding pop-up events or even operating a charcuterie-focused food truck.

“I didn’t realize it would get as much traction as it did, so fast, which is really, really great,” she said.

Learn more about Grazing Happy Valley at grazinghappyvalley.com.

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.