PlateD by D, a new charcuterie board business, has launched during the pandemic (Visit Website).

The brainchild of 23 year old Dylan Elias, she’s been working to find her passion – and while working the last years running her dad’s ice cream store (Ice Cream by Mike in Ridgewood), she was feeling like her future was unclear, until she decide to create something for herself.

She began playing with charcuterie boards in the early days of during the pandemic — the colors and placements made her feel creative — and made a few for close friends and associates. Immediately family members began asking for her to make them as gifts, so she decided to make a go of it.

Using her dad’s commercial kitchen, she purchased boxes, made some sample boards/boxes and promoted them on Instagram. As sales started coming in, she outgrew her dad’s shop and now has a larger kitchen space in Lodi. Not only did it give her flexibility to offer more items – she’s doing fruit trays, meats and cheeses, plus dessert trays — but the loosening of pandemic restrictions opened a new door: small catering orders which really spiked her creativity.

All boards, boxes, and platters are customizable, with full information on their website (Visit Website).