Retired Millbrook Couple Keeps Busy With Family-Run Charcuterie Business

Retirement has not slowed down Avril and Steve Greer of Millbrook as their charcuterie catering business Corks & Boards have kept them busy since November of last year.

Steve (left) and Avril Greer (right) showing off their homemade charcuterie boards and a sample of their array of foods that accompany them. Photo By David Tuan Bui

The business sells boxes of charcuterie boards full of ready-to-eat specialty meats, cheeses, chocolate, nuts, jellies, seasonal fruit and crackers to customers. Their products are ideal for parties, showers, sympathies, date nights or social gatherings.

The charcuterie is available for pickup or delivery in the Peterborough County or Durham region from their home-run business.

The couple moved to Millbrook in October last year after Avril and Steve retired as a daycare and an IT worker respectively.

The idea of Corks & Boards came from Avril’s sister since there were plenty of charcuterie businesses in the Niagara area where she lives. The couple wanted to keep busy in a new era of their lives.

"There's not a lot of that (charcuterie) around,” explained Avril. “We were looking, there are cupcakes and cookies but we're not bakers. We want to eat something where we're not making food, that we wanted to prepare food."

Avril (left) with daughter Ashley McGavock (right). Both daughters aid their parents in the social media of the business. Photo Courtesy of Corks & Boards.

While the business started out small, they quickly grew from word of mouth and some social media marketing and found themselves busy in a hurry.

"We thought we'd be selling to friends and family but it quickly got busy around Christmas time and realized we need to do not just Facebook and Instagram but we need to do a website."

The charcuterie comes in several sizes such as a sampler, spicy, gather or grand gathering. Every option aside from spicy has a “plus” option that includes wine jellies. Photo Courtesy of Corks & Boards.

All of their products used for the charcuterie are sourced as local as possible. Steve has the boards delivered to the business before he forms them then coats them with food-safe mineral oil and beeswax.

"I love giving them as gifts to people and love the look on people's faces when we surprise them at the door,” said Avril.

"We like to give people as much value for what they're getting,” said Steve. I think people see that and they appreciate it.“

All orders can be done online at their official website.

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Foodie Friday: Lakefield Greek Restaurant on Retaining the Previous Owner's Menu and Traditions With New Management

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We talk with Jesse's Tap & Grill owner Jason Julian about how Grandma Ella played a pivotal role behind the family-run restaurant!

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Foodie Friday: Addison Brown of Dr. J's On Becoming a Pitmaster and How All the Food is Made From Scratch

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This week on Foodie Friday, we speak with Addison Brown, owner of Dr. J's BBQ & Brews on how he became a pitmaster and how all the food is made from scratch.

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Foodie Friday: Dan Rennick of Apollo Grill Celebrates the Burger Joint's 10th Anniversary and Explains the Royal Burger Link

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This week on Foodie Friday in our first-ever episode, we speak with Dan Rennick, owner of Apollo Grill as he celebrates his 10th anniversary and how the storied Royal Burger's lineage lives on through his business.

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Homegrown Chef Lives Dream of Opening Downtown Pizzeria

After almost 20 years in the cooking business, chef Sean Crooks gets to be his own boss by opening Pizza Bodega in downtown Peterborough in a grand opening on Friday.

Pizza Bodega’s logo was designed by Sean Crooks’s significant other. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Pizza Bodega is Crooks’s first business and is located at the side of Spanky’s bar on Hunter Street beside the Simcoe Parking Garage.

The restaurant models after New York-style pizza with a thinner crust and a bigger pie compared to most conventional places.

The opportunity to open a business came from his friendship with Matt Russelle, Spanky’s owner, who asked Crooks to supply the food for his business.

"Spanky and I have jokingly talked about working together here and there over the years," said Crooks. "The timing just happened and it seemed to be the right time and here we are."

Sean Crooks has also worked in Prince Edward County and abroad in Western Canada. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Crooks’s cooking career has had pizza follow him wherever he has gone. That made the decision to open a pizzeria as his first business venture.

Several of Pizza Bodega’s ingredients are sourced either locally or within Ontario including dry-cured pepperoni, smoked ham and spiced ground wagyu. Gluten-free and vegan options will be available on the menu.

"Everybody loves pizza and (I’m) trying to make the pizza fun and not too pretentious,” said Crooks.

Sean Crooks has worked in several Peterborough kitchens such as Primal Cuts, Gerti’s and Capra Toro. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

All customers attending Pizza Bodega’s grand opening will receive a free entry for concert tickets to The Arkells. The pizzeria is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

The restaurant opened this week for a friends-and-family event on Wednesday and a take-out window on Thursday. The grand opening will feature a full outdoor back patio with live music and beer samples.

"It is my very first venture out on my own so it's definitely very challenging, said Crooks. "There's a lot more to deal with than just the kitchen side of things now I'm taking on the entire animal but I'm super excited and super nervous. I just want to see where this goes."

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Hometown PTBO: Jay Rowan Discusses the Sandbagger Hard Seltzer Story Including His Father's Influence and the Development of the Drink

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Local Ice Cream Parlour Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Central Smith Creamery celebrates their 125th anniversary with one-dollar vanilla ice cream cones this Saturday which is considered National Ice Cream Day weekend.

(left to right) Jillian Scates, project manager and co-owners Ian and Jennifer Scates are part of three generations who have been involved with Central Smith Creamery. Photo by David Tuan Bui

The price is a throwback to when the Scates family purchased the business in 1978 and sold ice cream scoops at that price. They chose vanilla as ice cream’s oldest flavour to commemorate the milestone.

"It's a true honour,” said Ian Scates, co-owner of Central Smith. “Sometimes you kind of have to pinch yourself to realize that you've literally been here before cars existed. It's a bit surreal to think that it's been around as long as it has.”

Ian Scates describes working at Central Smith the “longest summer job” of his life. Photo by David Tuan Bui

“Sometimes in life, it's really important to stop and celebrate the milestones,” said Jennifer Scates, co-owner of Central Smith. “The business of life gets us not thinking about the important things and it's important to recognize where we were, where we're going to, celebrate our employees who have helped us along the way and just pause and reflect.”

Central Smith Creamery has over 70 flavours of ice cream where some come in and out of rotation depending on popularity. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The business has had three generations of the Scates working at Central Smith. Ian’s father, James Scates purchased the business back from the Andrews family in 1978 where Ian first helped the business in 1979. Since then, Ian has been working at Central Smith for 42 years.

His daughter, Jillian Scates graduated in business from Dalhousie University in April 2016 and joined the business starting at the bottom. She has worked her way through as a sales analyst and now as a project manager.

“There's a lot of pride in that we've been able to keep going with the legacy,” said Jennifer. “This place is still in the same place 125 years ago.”

Some of creamery’s top flavours are Algonquin Canoe, Lavender Lemonade and Monster Cookie. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

New this year is Central Smith merchandise for sale such as reusable water bottles, caps and t-shirts. A colouring contest to design your own ice cream flavour is part of the milestone celebrations. Customers can pick up a colouring sheet and submit their designs to the store by Aug. 1.

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