Grazing Goodness
Charcuterie company expands, owners move to Ballantyne
By Jodi Werner Greenwald | Courtesy photo by Ariel Perry
When one sees a grazing board by charcuterie company Babe & Butcher, it’s an explosion of color and flavor, often extending a table’s length. During the pandemic, owners Lindsay Anvik and Rob Henricks started offering individual boxes. They also moved to Ballantyne and announced their first brick and mortar location in Camp North End. Anvik shares her creative process here. We lightly edited her responses.
How have you pivoted since March 2020?
We have gone from a business just catering events to a business that can accommodate people who want individual charcuterie boxes. We wanted to shift to make sure that we could still bring our beautiful boards to people while being safe during COVID. The boxes were born, and they have been a huge hit.
What was the “creative spark” behind starting your business?
I’ve always worked in a creative field. Before starting Babe & Butcher, I had my own marketing and business development company. Building Babe & Butcher allowed me to flex creative and business muscles simultaneously.
What’s on the horizon?
We are incredibly excited to open our first brick and mortar store in Camp North End. Customers will be able to build their own box or board, as well as peek into our kitchen and watch us build huge grazing tables.
What do you like so far about living in Ballantyne?
Ballantyne is family-oriented, and both Rob and I love that about it. There are a ton of parks and greenways, and it has been fun to walk and bike on days off. We also have some of our favorite restaurants here, including 131 Main and Open Rice.
How do you keep the creative juices flowing?
I love to paint, and this creative freedom allows me to explore colors and themes that spill into the boards. I also find when I am doing other things, such as exercising, it allows my mind to wander in all the best ways. My subconscious often conjures up all kinds of ideas for flavor profiles, color palettes and themes.
What is the most unique board you have made?
Probably our lemon dessert board. I’ve never seen anything like it, and the lemon and vanilla flavors blend so well together. It’s a lighter option for spring and summer.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We are always creating. Our head of production and baking just came up with an unbelievable red velvet buttercream. I’m perfecting a lemon rosemary goat cheese. We are never done finding new and exciting things.
See Yourself Here?
Share your creative projects and you could be featured on this page. Contact Jodi Greenwald at editor@ballantynemagazine.com.