Abbye McGee

Emily is the kind of person who makes everything look effortless and the rest of us are very grateful for that.

Raised in a family where culinary magic happened everywhere from the barbecue pit to the bakery, Emily came into this work with southern hospitality already in her bones. She owned and operated the Nashville Tea Room before relocating her family to Wilmington, where fate (bless it) landed her in the same commercial kitchen as Abbye… and Salt + Charm has never been the same. As our full-time Events Director and one of the original Salt + Charm family, Emily is the backbone of our client relationships: the one who remembers every detail, anticipates every need, and makes every event feel personal.

She is the wife to Ron, mom to two handsome boys and two gorgeous girls (plus one sassy pup, two cats and a gaggle of backyard chickens), devoted to her church and her neighborhood, and the person that keeps us booked and busy.

Meet Executive Chef Allegra… and try not to be too intimidated by how much she can do.

A formally trained Johnson & Wales hospitality professional with over a decade of experience, Allegra brings serious range to the Salt + Charm kitchen. We’re talking whole animal butchery, patisserie, bread baking, global cuisine, and that’s just the back of house. She’s equally at home designing custom menus, curating beverage pairings, and styling events from concept to centerpiece. She has led teams through more than 25 national Food & Wine events, charity dinners, weddings, and intimate private dining experiences. And she makes it all look gorgeous.

As our Executive Chef and Operations Manager, Allegra is the creative force and the steady hand that keeps every plate and every event running beautifully. We are so proud to have her leading our kitchen.

A Johnson & Wales graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management, Caitlyn brings over 15 years of professional kitchen experience to the Salt + Charm team. She honed her craft at Elliott’s on Linden in Pinehurst, a beloved fine dining farm-to-table destination, before stepping into Executive Chef roles at two prestigious private clubs on Bald Head Island, where she led high-volume kitchen operations, developed seasonal menus, executed wine dinners, weddings and large-scale private events.

As our Chef De Cuisine, she brings that same level of mastery and care to every Salt + Charm event, and we are so proud to have her on this leadership team of remarkable women.

Fair warning: Chef Caroline will make you cry laughing, and then turn around and plate something so beautiful it makes you cry for a whole different reason.

Caroline is a Wilmington native and Cape Fear Culinary School grad who spent years working and managing professional kitchens before Abbye, who has known her since they were basically babies, finally convinced her to bring her talents to the Salt + Charm family. Now our Sous Chef, Caroline is a full-on powerhouse: equally at home executing an intimate private dinner party or managing a large-scale catering event without breaking a sweat. She’s the kind of person the whole team leans on, the kind of chef clients fall in love with, and the undisputed best gift-giver any of us have ever encountered.