Savoring the Journey: How We Built The Gathering Board Co.

We are Andrea and Derek Johnston, owners of The Gathering Board Co. We’d love to share our story with you of how we started our company, what inspired us, and how we have grown. Thank you for taking the time to read this, we appreciate everyone who has supported us and our charcuterie board journey!

Derek and I met and started dating at the end of 2018 and were inseparable from the start! After a few weeks together, he took me to a little Italian restaurant in midtown where we shared an amazing charcuterie board. We bonded over the creamy Taleggio, the salty prosciutto, and the chewy bread. I hogged all the tomato jam while turning my nose up at the olives that he adored! There was just something so romantic about dining on a meal from a shared plate.

That initial joy turned to frustration when we tried to recreate that experience at another restaurant. Their board was dry and boring, lacking any sort of imagination which left us immensely disappointed. Shortly after, the pandemic closed down most of the restaurants so we started cooking more at home. I tried my hand at making our own charcuterie board and it was so much fun! I posted pictures of my creations to my social media and worked to improve each one, playing around with different cheeses and meats, adding unique crackers or nuts, and NEVER including olives!

In June of 2020, we went down to Mississippi where Derek’s family lives to celebrate his mom’s birthday. She had seen my pictures and requested a charcuterie board as her gift! We sourced out all the best cheeses and meats that the Gulf Coast could provide, found a gorgeous wood board to build it on, and then while shopping for some cheese knives at a local antique store, the owner told me she heard of a company that made and delivered charcuterie boards! That simple statement sparked a lightbulb moment for me that changed the trajectory of both our lives and our careers.

I was working as a real estate agent and Derek was (and still is) a paramedic whose company taught CPR classes, both of which were greatly affected by the lockdown. The benefit for me was that I had lots of time on my hands and proceeded to dive headfirst into this new business idea. After lots of research, I realized there was no such service in the Atlanta area and very little across the country. We were going to start something so niche that we’d have to figure it all out on our own. Which is just the way I like it!

In a large metropolitan area, and right in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, we launched The Gathering Board Co., a charcuterie board catering company encouraging people to “gather together” at a time when most people were told to stay away! Now, we weren’t catering 200 person events at this time, but we did realize that there was a demand for curated food experiences for couples, families and small groups.

Derek’s CPR classes became our testing ground—when he had a class scheduled for dentists and surgeons I would come along with some snacks... they were ecstatic with the taste and the presentation, asking for business cards or a website link that we didn’t even have yet! Using their helpful feedback, we launched our website in August of 2020 and eagerly waited for our first paying customer.

Unfortunately, before that first order came in, I was involved in a softball injury which fractured my lower jaw. I required surgery and a few weeks of rest to recover during which time I sadly couldn’t make any boards. To keep myself occupied, I started Season 1 of Hell’s Kitchen and was hooked! It didn’t make much sense for me to be watching a cooking show when I could only drink my meals, but it was fascinating for me to watch how a commercial kitchen worked. I was impressed with Gordon Ramsay’s approach (not the insults or food throwing) but his insane attention to detail and pride in serving his guests an impeccable meal. Watching that series cemented in me the way that I wanted to run our business, with perfection and care; creating a memorable experience like the first charcuterie board that Derek and I shared, not the second disappointing one.

Once I was able to make boards again, my best friend Janine became our first paying customer! She has always been my champion and I love her for that. Then one day when I was in the grocery store, my phone made a weird notification sound... it was an order placed on our website from someone I didn’t even know!! I might have done a little happy dance right there in the produce section...

Six months after we launched our business we were signing a lease on our very own brick and mortar location, the first of its kind in Georgia. Derek supported us by working on Covid contract jobs in Atlanta, Arizona, and New York City while I stayed back and supervised the renovation of our space when I wasn’t fulfilling orders. It was exhausting, terrifying and exhilarating.

Fast forward to 2025 and we will be celebrating five years in business!! We have expanded our menu to include six different sizes of charcuterie boards, grazing tables, wine and cheese pairings and board making classes, sandwiches and dips, fruit and vegetable boards, a variety of desserts, and the best house made focaccia you’ve ever had...

Last year we also obtained our liquor license and can now sell beer, wine and cocktails at our storefront and at catered events. And one of our most memorable food experiences is called Pasta Baby, where we serve fresh pasta out of an 80-lb wheel of Parmigiana Reggiano. It is an exceptional meal you have to try at least once in your lifetime.

This has been such a phenomenal journey for us, with all the normal highs and lows of owning a business. But throughout it all, we have always had the most amazing customers, some of which have become great friends. We have served new moms, birthday girls, the governor of Georgia, Fortune 500 companies, a U.S. Senator, billionaires and school teachers, mayors and fire fighters. We ensure everyone receives the same time and attention to make their board or event spectacular, no matter the size. And each person has been such an essential means of support for our small business and has made us who we are today.

When someone asks me why we do this, I always think back to a lady named Katie who sent me a message about the boards she received. Here is what she said,

“...I came in yesterday with my little girls and picked up two charcuterie boards from you guys for my sister and her family, since her father in law passed away yesterday morning. I

just wanted to let y'all know what a hit it was and that my brother in law told me it was the first thing that his mom had eaten in three days and she ate a ton of it! That really made her boys feel better that she was eating and taking care of herself and everyone got to come together around it and enjoy it while spending time together."

That’s why we do this—helping you share those little moments; whether in the midst of grief, a joyful celebration, or a life altering date with your favorite person.