Our Story

Grateful Culinary Collaborations came to life in 2025, but the vision and passion had been there long before that. Prior to Grateful Culinary Collaborations, Owner and Client Relations Manager Lee Ann Black worked with Delicious Thymes Personal Chef and Catering Services. Delicious Thymes was owned by Lee Ann’s predecessor Jim McCarthy, who was a well known and respected Chef throughout the Maine and Southern New Hampshire Community.

Lee Ann and Jim met in 2024 and had an immediate connection because it was clear right away they shared a lot of the same passion, visions, and future goals. They started working together and they both realized the magic they could help each other create and they decided to form a partnership.

In the process of this partnership, sadly, Jim passed away from Cancer in early 2025 and he wanted Lee Ann to continue their passion and vision of the highly respected and desired catering and private chef services they had began to collaborate on.

This is when Grateful Culinary Collaborations was established. Lee Ann wanted to not only continue Jim’s great work with his existing clients, but she wanted to expand it even more. She wanted to spread the love for food that her and Jim have both shared.

Grateful Culinary Collaborations is here to help bring your special occasion to live and create the perfect atmosphere for your guests.

Meet Our Team

  • Lee Ann Black

    OWNER & CLIENT COLLABORATOR

  • Jeff Gallant

    HEAD CHEF

    Chef Jeff had joined Delicious Thymes in 2020 and became the Executive Chef in 2023. He was happy to help Jim’s vision live on by joining Grateful Culinary Collaborations in 2025 as the Head Chef.

    Jeff has been cooking since he was a child. He would cook with both his mother and grandmother growing up and his favorite cuisines to eat or cook are Classical French, Mexican, Thai, and Spanish. Jeff went to Culinary School and Johnson and Wales in Denver Colorado and has been in the industry for 13 years. 

    Jeff’s approach to cooking is very technical and he enjoys using the science behind cooking, understanding the how and why of different techniques. 

    Outside of being a Chef, Jeff enjoys skiing, hiking, video games, gardening (specifically hot peppers for his own homemade hot sauces) and has recently grown more interested in fermenting pepper blends for sauces.


  • Ned

    CHEF

IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR FRIEND AND CO-FOUNDER

Jim McCarthy

Executive Chef for Delicious Thymes Catering and Personal Chef Services

May 26, 1958  -  January 24, 2025