With the growing number of platter and charcuterie board makers in the U.S. recently, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I met Kelli Cain.
The first thing I noticed was the generosity and warmth that hovered about her. She looked me in the eye, held my hand a moment as she shook it and beamed a wide smile at my greeting. Her personable energy was contagious and balanced by the meticulous care and professionalism she took with the two platters she had crafted for our interview and photo shoot. And what incredible food boards they were!
Kelli has spent a lifetime being inspired through food and seeking to pass on that inspiration and affection to others. And this radiated through every detail of her charcuterie boards. She had chosen rich, warm colors, like plum purples, dusty greens and earthy ochers.
There were halved artichokes that looked like blooming flowers, creamy red beet hummus, a variety of briny olives, soft and crunchy falafel, cheeses to make your mouth water, delicate charcuterie microgreen rolls, grilled fruits and veggies, and…so many tidbits of palatable and visual delight!
Each element was chosen and arranged with intentionality and consideration, not just for presentation, but also for the true enjoyment of those who would consume it, regardless of age, diet, restrictions, food knowledge or experience. Kelli’s boards are an invitation to not only encounter her joys and passions, but also discover something exquisite and delicious for yourself.
Kelli grew up in Seattle with parents who were jewelers. Her family wasn’t terribly interested in cooking. Still, at an early age, Kelli found belonging and inspiration in food and the satisfaction that comes from cooking good food from scratch. Her grandmother, Bessie, and aunt Carole were “culinary geniuses,” and she would sit on a stool in the kitchen and observe them making pies, cinnamon rolls, fried chicken – all the comfort foods.
“They gave me my reason to cook,” says Kelli. “They taught me my way around the kitchen with good down-home cooking!”
Home cooking and their gentle guidance put Kelli on a path that would wind through a wealth of culinary and food industry experiences and nurture her desire to do the same for others.
She first entered the food industry when she was 14, and, although she ended up getting a degree in accounting at Washington State University, her focus on and passion for food kept her firmly in the world of cuisine, catering and restaurants.
Back home in Seattle, she worked several jobs in restaurant accounting and then ended up in Nordstrom’s restaurant division.
“At Nordstrom, I was involved in restaurant remodels, new store construction, accounting, a little design work, and I spent a lot of time working the front end and dining room,” she says.
Each role and project empowered those eateries and the people who worked there. She saw and learned the ins and outs of restaurants and catering, but, over time, she found herself drawn more and more back to the kitchen where the food was. So, in her 30s, she left her job of 10 years and enrolled in the Edmonds College Culinary Arts program in Lynnwood, Wash.
Getting an education wasn’t enough for Kelli. She spent another decade in Edmonds, where she became the foodservice director for Edmonds College, running a couple of foodservice establishments and a significant catering program. She was often asked to traipse back over to the culinary school to teach the students how to cut and arrange fruit, a skill she had mastered while crafting fruit trays in a garage at a golfing club. It was also in Edmonds that she met her husband, Matt, and they made a pact that they would move back to the Inland Northwest if they ever decided to have a child. They did. And they now reside in Post Falls.
When attending WSU, Kelli had fallen in love with the abundance of food resources and culinary inspiration and creativity in the Inland Northwest. She was excited to experience all the farm fresh foods, craft foods, chefs, restaurants and more that the area had to offer.
“I stuck my foot into any door that would open,” she says, with a laugh, “and feel honored to be able to work alongside some amazingly talented chefs in this area.”
After a while, though, she tired of the insane pace and hot work of restaurant kitchens, but she wasn’t sure what exactly she wanted to do with that. Catering was a natural go-to, but she wanted to do something different, something that would bring people together, create inspiration and empower the local food culture to craft for now and the future. She began to call herself the “caterer, consultant and collaborator,” helping out wherever she was needed.
She did her kitchen time but really felt that appetizers and more personalized food catering was her thing.
Inspired by an Instagram page of an Australian company that was crafting fun and creative charcuterie and food platters, she decided to jump into that world. “I’ve done a lot of platter work as a caterer,” says Kelli, “but this was just fresh, new, brave and exciting!”
The platters incorporated seasonal elements. They had texture and color. They were artistic but served a distinctive purpose. They looked very different from the heavy catering foods she had done for decades.
Now, Kelli is slightly obsessed with bringing customers, friends, family and business communities the opportunity to create their perfect bite of food from a spread, not just something that’s served to them.
“For the most part, I want my entire boards to be edible,” Kelli explains. “Boards and grazing tables are a great way to serve a bunch of people without having to take into consideration all the allergies, restrictions and diets that are prevalent these days. People have all the options before them to craft their perfect bite.”
She’s spent a little while evolving in the charcuterie board culture and has made platters, grazing tables, and boards for friends, family, neighbors, kids’ parties, businesses, events, and more. She has also worked with local restaurants to build or re-invent their menus, step in when they’re overwhelmed, or help with their catering. In 2022, she began working with
Children’s Village, she’s the resident caterer for CDA Power Yoga’s Wine Down Wednesdays, and she does some private jet catering.
“Whatever people need, I’m there and show up to help,” she says.
So, it was about time she officially established her own business. It is simply her name paired with what she’s passionate about: Kelli Cain Catering, Consulting and Collaboration. As she grows, she wants to not only create but also inspire, teach, connect, learn and meet every nosher where they’re at.
“Food is synonymous with celebration and family,” she says. “These two things are very inspirational for me, and I want to create wholesome food that appeals to every generation.”
You can find Kelli and her work on Instagram: @kellicaincatering.” N
By S. Michal Bennett
Photography By Joel Riner
As Featured In: Winter/Spring 2023