When Lyric Payne started arranging small charcuterie boards in her Louisville apartment, she never imagined it would grow into a business idea. But her love for food — and her desire to connect with others — has taken shape as Harvest Boards, a mobile charcuterie cart.
“I finally landed on culinary,” Payne said. “I did some time at Sullivan, and I decided I really enjoyed making food and feeding people — making plates for people, just anything revolving around food. That was something I struggled with my whole life, but it also made me happy when I was feeding my family or having friends come over.”
The mobile cart concept brings that passion into the community. Designed as a collapsible wooden stand with 12 compartments, it allows Payne to rotate a menu of cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, honeys, and jams. Guests can request custom baskets at pop-ups, or larger groups can choose from a set menu.
“It’s literally like a grab-and-go,” Payne explained. “I’ll be the one putting it all into a basket, but people tell me what they would like in it. If I’m doing a larger group, then I’ll have a set menu for each basket.”
Local sourcing is central to Payne’s vision. She avoids nuts to accommodate allergies but includes items like prosciutto, salami, seasonal produce, and locally made honey and jams. Alongside the cart, Harvest Boards will also offer custom charcuterie boards in three sizes, available for delivery.
“I wanted to go ahead and make this charcuterie cart because another thing besides food that I struggled with was anxiety and meeting new people,” she said. “This is a perfect way to not only do what I love, but also to have conversations and meet people. I guess I can look at it as exposure therapy.”
Payne is now accepting bookings for private gatherings. Interest started to build quickly after her initial announcement on social media.
“I was sort of hesitant at first about what the response was going to be,” she said. “It hasn’t been huge yet, but I’ve had people message me about weddings and other events months from now. That was just really exciting, and it made me want to put my all into this.”
Looking ahead, Payne hopes to expand Harvest Boards across the tri-state area, offering grazing tables in addition to baskets and boards.
“I’m hoping for it to become pretty well-known in the community,” she said. “When it comes to wedding planning, showers, or work events, I want people to consider Harvest Boards. I’m hoping to become the go-to for any charcuterie needs.”
