Meet McKenna Lelah, founder and hands behind HandPicked

Prior to launching HandPicked in January of 2020, McKenna Lelah was hard at work as a professional chef in the world-renowned Los Angeles culinary scene. McKenna arrived in Los Angeles in 2014 with an early passion for the power of farm-to-table food, and a desire to create memorable dishes. 

Since that time, her food journey has led her from Osteria Mozza to Otium and all the way to Dialogue, a Michelin star seasonal tasting concept in Santa Monica. Whether in her own kitchen or for restaurant goers across LA, McKenna has always felt a responsibility to reflect and represent in her dishes the high-quality ingredients of the region. 

McKenna’s approach is guided by a belief that no matter the chef or the dish, fresh produce is king. That’s why when she’s not in the kitchen, those closest to her know that she’s either scouring farmers markets in and around LA, or on-site getting to know the local growers and farmers and immersing herself in the sustainable processes behind the best local produce.

But while trips to the farmers market are routine aspects of a chef’s life and a farmer’s life, for most people who don’t structure their schedules around sourcing the best ingredients, these visits are naturally and understandably, rarer. HandPicked is McKenna’s dream for as many people – on both sides of the producer and consumer equation – to realize the benefits of locally cultivated, high-quality and sustainable produce. With the farmers’ trust and a chef’s eye, McKenna is connecting SoCal produce to SoCal residents in the form of one curated market box, one week at a time since January of 2020. 

In her own words… “Whenever I think about local farmers markets, I know three things to be true: 1. They are an amazing source of exposure for local growers and farmers; 2. Everyone loves their freshness, charm and local feel; and 3. They can be hard to navigate, out of the way, and overall, they are just difficult to visit on a consistent basis. I started HandPicked to make sure #3 would no longer take away from #1 and #2, for the benefit of local producers, customers, restaurants and the community at large. “