Today we’d like to introduce you to Liza Atkinson.
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?
Food is my love language. I have always had a passion for cooking and bringing people together over a shared table. In late 2019 I launched my youngest child into kindergarten, turned 40 and was ready to try something new. The idea for Nosh and Gather had been brewing for a few years. Inspiration came from my Gourmet Dinner Club which has been meeting monthly for the last 15-years and initially I thought hosting pop-up dinner parties would be the main component of my new business.
In addition to wanting to host pop-up dinners, I had also been piloting a weekly meal service in early 2020 essentially offering modern comfort food meals that were fully cooked which could be picked up from my kitchen or delivered to your front door. The client just had to reheat it and get dinner on the table fast. It had been gaining momentum along with my private catering events. I officially launched Nosh and Gather at the beginning of March 2020, pressing live on my website and selling out quickly. I was also thrilled to be looking at a full catering calendar for the rest of the year. And then covid19 hit. Once we all realized what this really meant for my industry I did wonder if I should shut it all down and wait until things were normal again. That would only take a few weeks or months right??
Instead, I pivoted and really ramped up my weekly meal service, added special holiday meals as we moved through Easter and Mother’s Day. The feedback I got from my clients was that lots of people didn’t know how to cook or maybe only made a few meals for their family and after a few weeks of lockdown, they needed some help. I also heard from clients that after spending 8-9 hours all day on zoom, they didn’t have the bandwidth to make dinner for their family. Our weekly meal service took off and continues to be a large part of our business today.
In late spring of 2021, we began offering bougee, lux picnic experiences called Noshnics. People were ready to gather again but maybe with only a few people from their inner circle and wanted to be outside. We created more than 30 picnics last year and are looking forward to providing then again.
Private catering events have slowly started to come back as well. Things may look a little different, holiday parties required us to do less grazing tables and more individual charcuterie cups and portions. And last fall we launched Gather Your Way – Dinner Parties go Go. People are gathering again and this service allows the client to host without having to think about menu, table settings, etc.
I only know how to run a business during a pandemic and though it has been incredibly challenging it has also made me very nimble. Instead of relying on traditional methods and forecasting, I have the ability to quickly shift the business as the world continues to change. I do look forward to more “normal and boring times” but I know this experience will forever make me a better CEO.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been very challenging dealing with supply chain issues, ingredient shortages and price hikes. Each week we aren’t sure if we will be able to source everything we need. But our clients have been very understanding about this.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have always been a creative and now I am a self-taught chef. I have loved cooking as long as I can remember. I was that girl throwing dinner parties in my tiny apartment in college. Food is my love language. I love nothing more than being creative in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes or writing menus. But my super power is bringing people together, creating community over a shared table.
I am so proud of how far Nosh and Gather has come and all we have accomplished during this pandemic. If I can successfully run a new business during these times, what can’t I do?
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@noshandgather.com
- Website:www.noshandgather.com
- Instagram: @noshandgather
- Facebook: @noshandgather
Image Credits
Chelsie Lopez
