When Holly McLelland, owner of DELECTABLES by holly, founded the company in 1995 she sought out to provide her clients with “serious service.” She, like many caterers, had a passion for food. A passion so raging that now 14 years later, she’s still serving the Charlotte area with food that will “engage all your senses.”

Holly McLelland: I always loved to cook. I know that’s cliché, but I always loved to cook. And I always knew that I wanted to work for myself. And I like to be creative. Those three things together, it just kind of evolved that I would get into catering. Yeah, I just always wanted to do it.

What is your favorite event to cater? Can you share an experience with such an event?

I like doing it all, to be honest with you. But I think the most rewarding and challenging are major events where it calls for a lot of creativity and ingenuity.

For two years running we’ve worked with MDA of Charlotte. And it was a big Black and Blue Gala fundraiser. The cause is very near and dear to my heart, because my father passed away with ALS about five years ago. And it was an event sponsored to raise funds for ALS, but it was sponsored by Harley-Davidson. And their concept is that you can come to the party in blue jeans and tuxedo. It is kind of a merging of black tie and Harley-Davidson. So my food stations had to be representative of those two polar opposites; so we did pigs in a bandana with tools in its mouth. And blue denim and toolboxes on one station; and black tie and silver and cut glass on another. And all in the same event, just trying to marry it all together. So that was probably one of my favorite events.

What makes your catering company distinctive?

Well, we have lots mantras, lots of beliefs around here. I think the first thing that makes DELECTABLES by holly unique is the team that works here. I really do feel like I’m blessed to have the most incredible people around me that I could possibly have. Also, we believe all your senses need to be engaged on every event. We believe that needs to happen in the first 10 seconds. So we talk about that, how are we going to create that “big wow” first impression? Furthermore, we prepare everything that we prepare from scratch. We do not open boxes, and lay pre-made orders out on the tray and put them in the oven. And lastly, we are definitely a relationship-oriented firm, we value our relationships and we work hard on our relationships.

(photo by Logan Canale)