About us
A Note from
Terri McClernon, (she/her) Owner and Founder of The Food Fairy®
As a young adult, I was a late-blooming hippie who spent seven years homesteading, building a house, raising children, gardening, and spending as many as eight hours a day cooking. A homestead in New York’s Catskills was my Culinary Institute, and a simple Coleman stove was my chef’s station. The land nurtured me, and I nurtured myself with everything the land had to offer.
When I moved to the Chapel Hill area with my three children in 1996, I immediately fell in love with the area. I met wonderful people who were doing important, worthwhile things but often lacked nourishment and nurturing. I had held onto an article about a personal chef association that a friend had cut out of the newspaper and given to me when I was still in New York. I took another look and thought to myself, “I can do this. I want to do this.”
Terri
The Food Fairy®
Introducing the Food Fairy® family....
Whitney ~ Social Media Coordinator
I am a dreamer, visionary and a culinary alchemist. A classically trained chef and herbalist, I was raised in the LA farm-to-table movement at the iconic Hollywood restaurant, AMMO, nurturing celebrities and other industry elite. After launching multiple restaurants in New York City, I decided to turn to the private kitchens of my high-profile clients for a time. Since returning to my roots in North Carolina, I’ve been working intimately with local herbalists, farmers, beekeepers, mycologists, foragers and other food industry philosophers. I strive to use my unique skillset to integrate these traditions and elevate food consciousness. As I spend precious kitchen time preparing for and nourishing four hungry gentlemen in my family – husband Ben and three sons, Jack and twins Hugh and Cosmo, I am retiring from The Food Fairy’s client kitchens. Instead, I’m applying my social media experience to help The Food Fairy® build relationships with local residents!
Karen ~ Serving the Lake Norman and Roaring Gap Areas
My food journey began as a small child as I often helped my mother, grandmother, and aunt with meal preparation. When I had a family of my own, I replaced most of the canned and processed ingredients that my mom used with fresh vegetables and homemade breads and desserts. I was faced with my first big challenge when my daughter, then a toddler, developed asthma and a severe case of eczema. The cure for her was dietary with the removal of dairy, poultry, eggs, and tomatoes, so we had to adapt our family’s favorite meals to meet her needs. I was amazed at the myriad of ways one can prepare tofu: burgers, lasagna, “chicken-like” nuggets, and even cheesecake all tasted great! When I experienced my own health challenges, I began cooking gluten-free, vegan meals, again adapting traditional recipes from various ethnic origins (although I do still cook traditional favorites the old-fashioned way). I recently expanded my audience beyond my front door and have joined the ranks of personal chefs who shop and cook for others. Being a personal chef with The Food Fairy allows me to be creative and give the gift of nourishment!
Leigh ~ Serving Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, Raleigh, Pittsboro, NC
I grew up in Durham, NC, watching my mother cook from scratch every day and my father make our family’s yogurt and granola every Saturday. After moving away for a period of time, I returned to my roots back in the Triangle and came to the realization that I love being in the kitchen, cooking with love as my family had shown me throughout my childhood. Intent on following this passion, I began to attract a variety of cooking and catering jobs, from farm lunches for 20 at Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute to preparing strictly macrobiotic meals for a family in Chapel Hill. I find great pleasure and fulfillment in menu-planning for events, which spark my creativity. The desire to nurture and nourish are deeply fulfilled when preparing meals for people following diets for health concerns such as autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions. I live in Carrboro with my teenage daughter and two cats. I am a voracious reader, and love traveling within the US, especially to national parks. My sister and I engage in a friendly contest to collect the most National Park stamps in our passbooks! I am grateful to The Food Fairy® and feel fortunate to be able to work with so many warm, wonderful, and supportive chefs and cook for clients every week.
Charlotte ~ Serving Durham and parts of Orange County
Food and cooking for others are lifelong passions of mine. My culinary adventure began as a young adult, working in restaurants large and small, fancy and neighborhood spots, in New York City and Minneapolis. I later embarked on a 30-year career with Whole Foods Market where, among other things, I developed weekly special diet-friendly recipes using fresh, in-season ingredients on a budget. Since moving back to my native Durham, NC several years ago, I have enjoyed exploring the rich, diverse food scene that has developed in the Triangle - shopping at our farmer’s markets, meeting purveyors and producers, and reconnecting with old friends over delicious meals. I am passionate about every part of the process - planning, preparing, and sitting down to eat with friends and family - and always have a focus on the freshest and most seasonally available ingredients. I look forward to connecting with new people through the language of food and am thrilled to be part of The Food Fairy team.
Becket Royce McGough ~ serving Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Pittsboro, Graham, and Burlington
Becket has been baking, braising, and roasting around the Triangle since she moved here in 1998. Her first stop was the General Store Cafe (in the space that is now Havoc Brewery in Pittsboro) which she owned with her husband Richard. Her many duties included stints as Executive Chef, barista, and bartender. Shortly after her son was born, she acquired a new across-the-street neighbor who stopped her on the road and asked if she'd be interested in being a Food Fairy. Thus began her life as a personal chef, cooking nutritious, delicious meals for folks with various preferences and allergies. That stint with The Food Fairy lasted until 2016 when she began working and ultimately buying SoundTrax Recording Studios in Raleigh (Becket started her professional life as an actor and continues to work in Voice-Over). With the current threat of her profession going the way of all things AI, she freaked out and asked Terri if she could return to the Food Fairy fold. She was graciously welcomed back.
Also, while living in the Triangle Becket established The Bee and the Clover, a gluten-free bakery (way before it was cool) and personal chef business, all the while continuing to cook and bake for her family and friends. Her most recent culinary endeavor has been delivering home-cooked food to those who need it through Lasagna Love (www.lasagnalove.org).
Sean Nagowski ~ Serving Clayton / Raleigh and Surrounding Areas such as Knightdale, Smithfield, Garner and beyond
The culinary world has been a part of my life for quite a while now. I remember as a teen cooking meals for my family, and this interest in food led me to my first job in the fast food industry while in high school.
After high school I attended an international culinary college in Maryland, where I learned the ins and outs of the professional cooking/baking world. During my time there, I worked in several different food service concepts including cafes, restaurants, hotels, a conference center, retirement communities, and even on a river boat!
My most rewarding experience was working at a residential treatment facility where patients with various eating disorders were cared for through in-person coaching and food therapy. The philosophy was based on the understanding that food is more than just for simple consumption. They emphasized that food nourishes the body, mind, and soul. I also taught weekly cooking classes at the facility – the participants benefited by having more confidence in their food choices and portion sizes. It was uplifting to see clients flourish from recipes I created and to witness them wanting to experience food rather than deny their bodies of the essential nutrients. My work there felt like cooking for my family which I’ve always enjoyed the most.
In my spare time my wife and I enjoy taking our two young sons, to play in the ocean. When I am not cooking for my family, or for clients, I relax by playing hockey and pinball games.
I moved to North Carolina in 2023 and I continue on this path of creating memorable meals that satisfy more than just the palate. I enjoy the creativity of cooking meals for those wishing to eat gluten-free, low fat, vegetarian or vegan as well as pescatarian and so much more! Being a part of the Food Fairy team is allowing me to share my passion for culinary arts on a more personal level to the homes of families of all sizes; to those that enjoy the special touch that our services offer by bringing family meals to another level.
Gwen Maller ~ Serving Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Pittsboro, Durham
I was born and raised in Chapel Hill and studied Literature at UNCW. When I came home for my first summer, I got a job at Margaret’s Cantina waiting tables. Right away I was exhilarated by the atmosphere, bustling vibe, the quirky people, the delicious food and aromas and the lifestyle. After college I spent 10 months as a volunteer in AmeriCorps. With time to reflect on my true passions, I realized I really wanted a career in food. After AmeriCorps I fell in love with an old friend who shared my passion for good food. We decided that we wanted to make and eat great food together for the rest of our lives. We got engaged, moved to NYC where we both attended the French Culinary Institute in Soho. Our dream was to open a restaurant one day to maximize our specialties; I studied pastry and Michael studied savory. Fast forward 17 years and here we are in Chapel Hill with a house and a yard, a crazy dog and 2 fantastic girls, Ruby Jane and Winnie. Creating a family rather than a restaurant became our primary focus and we have no regrets. I’ve had chef jobs and fantastic experiences around Durham and Chapel Hill throughout these almost two decades. My job at the cooking school at A Southern Season allowed me to work with incredibly talented chefs from all over the world. Although I’ve had the opportunity to be the pastry chef at some great local restaurants including Bin 54, Jujube and Mateo I know that the restaurant scene is not where I want to spend my time. I am thrilled at the opportunity to infuse love into people’s kitchens and nurture folks that need it. I love families: yours and mine! I’ve seen how much joy and connection, laughter, and understanding we get from our family dinners, and I couldn’t be happier to help that be a reality for others. By the way, I practice what I preach when I say ‘everything in moderation’ —I love broccoli and potato chips equally! I believe that healthful, nutrient rich, real food makes for a happier, healthier life… and there’s always room for dessert!
Delia Quigley ~ serving Carrboro and Chapel Hill
Delia Quigley is the former Director of StillPoint Schoolhouse and Yoga Studio LLC, where she taught a holistic lifestyle designed to promote optimal health and well-being, drawing on 35 years of study, experience, and practice. The programs she developed, such as the Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, Cooking the Basics, and The Ha-Tha Yoga Method, were offered as daily classes, retreats, and teacher-training programs, both online and in person. Delia has extensive practice as a Holistic Health practitioner, Macrobiotic chef, Yoga instructor, Energy therapist, and Public speaker. She has produced and hosted radio programs and written seven books on organic food and healthful living. In 2020, Delia published the Mindful Mandala Cards, a 75-card set designed to help individuals resolve emotional and mental challenges. Currently, she is the host of the podcast STORIES and a prolific writer at deliaquigley.substack.com. Author of nine acclaimed books: The Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, Third Edition; The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Detoxing Your Body; Super Charge with SuperFoods; Starting Over, Learning To Cook With Natural Foods; Cooking Healthy With One Foot Out The Door; Simply Smoothies; Empowering Your Life With Meditation; Lifting the Veil-Human; Nature Maya Awakens
Victoria Czech ˷ Serving Chapel Hill, Cary, Sanford
I’m the youngest of ten in a big Mexican family, and my very first kitchen job was standing on a chair beside my mom and sister, helping make tortillas for everyone we loved. That’s where I learned that food is how we take care of one another. Later, as a single mother raising five children, creativity became my greatest tool. With very little, I learned how to make meals that were comforting, nourishing, and fun. Food that made my children feel happy, loved and most of all memorable. Those years shaped everything I believe about cooking today. My path has been anything but traditional. I worked closely with caterers while serving as a wedding consultant, then went on to cook for a gentleman navigating cancer treatment in Chicago, collaborating with a nutritionist and preparing meals rooted in a healing-focused diet called “Raw and Rare”. That experience led me to film a pilot cooking show (I’d Chomp That!) that aired in Chicago, celebrating home cooks and the belief that everyone has something meaningful to share through food. My passion for nourishment deepened when I attended and became certified through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I studied over 150 dietary theories and learned to honor both science and intuition. I later spent four months in Ireland at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, studying global cuisines, cheese making, and sourdough bread. Also being certified in Food Hygiene & H.A.C.C.P Today, I am a private chef for the Franciscan Friars and the author of 30 Nights of Tacos, a cookbook rooted in Mexican cuisine and culture. I am also happily married to my husband, David, and we live on a small homestead where we grow our own food, raise chickens, and share life with our dog and five very loved cats. Much of this chapter was inspired by my two grandchildren, who remind me daily why it matters to know where our food comes from and how deeply it connects us. More than anything, I believe food should feel personal, comforting, and made just for you—and being a part of the Food Fairy team, I’d be honored to bring that care into your home. Cheers!