— Photo courtesy baker & olive ©
Their name may be in lower letters, but baker & olive is all caps when it comes to specialty food items.
The purveyor of internationally renowned olive oils, vinegars, cheeses and related items is set to open its first Orange County location at the Corona del Mar Plaza in Newport Beach in November.
The baker & olive team offers chef-inspired provisions curated by its sommelier and executive chef, Sean Fisher, and the newly appointed chef and cheese monger manager for the Newport Beach store, Ashley Cochrane (previously with the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach).
The shop will serve as a tasting pantry, featuring a wood burning pizza oven (for demonstration tastings only), a demo nook, a cheese case filled with artisan cheese and charcuterie, and a bevy of specialty, seasonal olive oils and vinegars.
The expert staff will be cooking up samples and conducting demonstrations, providing customers with a true culinary experience and how-tos on pairings.
The main focus of the store is its seasonally available olive oils.
“We take olive oil very, very seriously,” Cochrane said. “Ours are always fresh – within six months of harvest date – with the most stringent tasting and highest ratings available in the world. Our single varietal, single-estate premium extra virgin olive oil is delivered to our store from the current harvesting hemisphere and poured daily into bottles when the customer has tasted and selected their varietal.”
baker & olive was founded upon best-in-class products and ingredients, and the team thrives on creating experiences for each customer who walks through the doors.
With three locations in North San Diego, baker & olive founders Nol Calabrese and Peter Pozzuoli have found a formula that works, and are excited to share it with Orange County. Partnering with local chefs and culinary wizards, the baker & olive team has revived the old world neighborhood market experience with a large portion of culinary creativity.
“We love our neighborhood chefs,” Pozzuoli said. “They are passionate pros, highly committed to evolving their craft to reinvent flavor profiles every day. They share that passion with us, and we get to bring it to the home chef, who then inspires life around their table.”
The culinary team at baker & olive always strives to source its ingredients and food offerings locally – from fermented vegetables and granola, to bone broths, organic breads and salumi.
For more information, visit bakerandolive.com.
