She Said:
CORO ARTISAN MEATS
SEATTLE
She Said,
THE HARMONY OF oro, the Italian word for chorus, is a metaphor for not only the chorus of non-traditional flavors in Coro meats but also the chorus of voices that come together to bring Coro to the world.
C
CEOs Clara Veniard and Martinique Grigg are moms, makers, and longtime friends. Their passion for food drives them to continuously taste, experiment, and improve. Check out our Q&A to discover the unique harmony and innovation of this dynamic she-duo of charcuterie.
How did you meet? CLARA: We’ve been close friends for over a decade. We went to the same college and graduate school (Dartmouth and Harvard Business School) but we actually met for the first time while skiing on Mount Baker Mountain in Washington State. We like to say it is our passion for life and food that really brought us together. MARTINIQUE: As we struck up a natural friendship, our professional aspirations started to come to the surface. We were both in the same phase of life, both moms of elementary school-aged children. We each have a business background and a passion for creating products, and we’ve always bonded over getting our families together to break bread. This has always been a big part of our friendship story. Clara is originally from Argentina and used to have an empanada business. She also edited cookbooks for James Beard Award-winning chefs. CLARA: When I came into this, a lot of my family and my friends in Argentina, knowing my personal passions and family’s background, were like, ‘Oh my gosh! Finally, you’re back where you truly belong.’
How did salami become your purveyor destiny? MARTINIQUE: We knew we had this love of food so we started looking in the Seattle area for what would excite us. CLARA: We are both big fans of making charcuterie boards and grazing boards. We noticed the charcuterie aisle didn’t have the same creativity and richness that you see in cheese, chocolate, coffee and craft beer. MARTINIQUE: All these crazy inventive flavors were being offered in those categories. However, in cured meats, there were a lot of opportunities to bring what we love to the table, ‘Invention with Intention,’ to create an intentional workplace environment.’
16 | ChefsWarehouse.com
