This is not a gouda look.
A Los Angeles business owner has defended charging $7,000 for a fancy charcuterie board after she was called a “scam artist” for the costly creation.
Emmy Rener, 22, opened Sophisticated Spreads in 2020, crafting aesthetically pleasing cheese platters and grazing tables for high-end clients.
The self-described “cheese boss” boasts fans including Sofia Vergara and Jessica Alba, and has clocked up more than 300,000 followers on TikTok showing off her mouth-watering makings.
But after billing $7,000 for a stunning 25-foot platter featuring meats, artisan cheeses, fruits and flowers, TikTok turned against her.
“That’s about $6,500 too much,” one viewer wrote beneath a now-viral video of Renner showing off the spread.
“I think you added one or two zeros [to the price],” a second sneered.
‘I wouldn’t even pay $10 for this,” another snarked, prompting Renner to blast back.
“I’m very confident in what I charge,” Renner raged in a response video, saying she and her team crafted the platter for a couple’s engagement party.
“I’m making this so it’s clear to other business owners who do not know their worth — you can charge what you want,” she further declared. “If people are booking and your clients are happy then you’re doing it right.”
She then directly addressed her detractors, stating: “Before you get your panties in a wad, do your research!”
In a second follow-up clip, Renner decided to do a cost breakdown of the pricey platter.
“We charged $7,000 for this grazing table,” she explained. “It came out to about $550 in artisan cheeses that we sourced, we spent $150 on the charcuterie, [and] the garland is hand-woven by a florist and that came out to about $150.”
She continued: “We used fresh flowers and edible flowers, which ran us about $75. Now, you have the decor items, which are not necessarily meant to be eaten but are there for vibes, and that’s about $100.”
Renner further forked out $300 on fruits, $300 on dried goods and $50 on condiments.
The engagement party was held in Napa, more than a six-hour drive from Los Angeles, meaning the businesswoman also had to pay for travel expenses, including gas and hotel fees.
She claimed all of those expenses totaled $2,900, and that was before she factored in time and labor for two employees.
Several viewers were won over by the businesswoman’s breakdown of costs, with one exclaiming “It’s a great price, it’s a lot of work.”
“‘You’re amazing! ” another chimed in. “As a small business owner, I look up to you.”
In an interview with BuzzFeed, Renner insisted that, while she needed to break even, she was not motivated by money.
“I have never really been driven by finances for this business,” she stated. “It’s always been more of a labor of love.
“I think there’s a mismatch of what people think they should be charged and what is actually realistic in this day and age with inflation and food costs,” she added.