Hidden Gems of CLT: Beverly’s Gourmet Foods

CHARLOTTE, NC —  What are you missing in your favorite neighborhood? WCCB Charlotte’s Alexandra Elich explores tucked away spots, historic businesses, and secret gardens in the middle of our bustling city.

On this week’s Hidden Gems of Charlotte, Alex visits Beverly’s Gourmet Foods.

Behind the doors at the commercial kitchen at the YWCA on Park Road is Beverly’s Gourmet Foods.  Owner Beverly McLaughlin says they offer over 400 product lines.

“But it goes from casseroles, soups, salads, tomato basil pies, kale salads, type of entrées, chilies, salad dressing, muffins and biscuits. When you do that many different categories the number of products add up,” says McLaughlin.

Day to day her six employees come to the kitchen. Each of them is assigned to make 5 to 6 dishes.

“We start around 8 in the morning sometimes, depending on our delivery schedule we work until seven,” says McLaughlin.

At 21-years-old Beverly started cooking as a side hustle to support herself while she went to college for graphic design. She says she started with a dish called Tabouli. A popular dish now but 30 years ago not a thing. People would try Beverly’s and loved it.

“It started to grow. It just got bigger, and bigger and people are requesting it. And I started with sending out a menu each week of what I was making. So in the beginning I was only cooked to order because it was just me,” says McLaughlin.

Fast forward to today her food can be found at Whole Foods in SouthPark, Reid’s Fine Foods, Rhino Market and of course Mecklenburg County Market. Her grandmother one of the founders of the market in 1932.

“My father grew up in the market and then when he retired he started managing the market. “People like to come there because they grew up coming there. They came there with their grandmother, they came in with their aunt and now they’re bringing their grandchildren,” says McLaughlin.

Click here to learn more about Beverly’s Gourmet Foods.