Creating Core Memories | Foodie

As a mom of six, teacher and coach, I have planned countless celebrations. The moments we create for our children need to last forever, and I take my responsibility as steward of their core memories seriously. After 22 years of being a mom, I have found I’m running short of ideas. This summer, we have a graduating 5th grader and senior (hopefully), an 18th birthday, and celebrating our first granddaughter added to our typical family events. I set out to find something extra cool to set apart these parties from others. Experience dictates that schlepping presents, food and trappings to a location is not fun, so I focused on unique experiences for an at home party,

I ran across an at home hibachi party where vendors bring the whole Benihana-like teppanyaki show experience to your backyard. Since that requires precise timing of guests and we are hosting open houses, I had to clock that idea for a special family dinner. Sarah Shepherd, Senior Catering Manager at University of Colorado’s Folsom Field weighed in with the trend of interactive city food tours. Think build-your-own pizza for Little Italy, Dim Sum for Chinatown, crepe stations for the French quarter, and so on. Another fantastic idea, but a little too big for this event.

Feeling like Goldilocks in search of the perfectly-sized party option, I stumbled upon Honey & Brie 303 located inside Stacy’s Kitchen in Erie (see Off Menu) where a customer was picking up their 21st birthday board. I was struck by the intricately and colorfully displayed meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits, cookies, pickles and spreads and found something that was just right for me.

Mallorie Lang and Becca Tobin, both from Erie, are partners in ownership of Honey & Brie 303. We met at a local coffee shop while they were finalizing their spring break plans and St. Patrick’s Day orders to make sure they had everything coordinated. Friends and baseball moms first, Lang and Tobin bonded over a shared love for food and entertaining. “Mallorie makes enough dinner for two families every time she cooks and I love the art of food,” said Tobin. “My entire instagram feed is charcuterie,” she added, noting that she constantly saves fresh inspiration to create pretty food. “You wouldn’t believe how many ways there are to make a salami rose.”

Honey & Brie 303 offers a breadth of customizable options including individual boxes, varying sizes of charcuterie trays, intricate crudite, charcuterie cups and meandering, elaborate multilevel tablescapes large enough to host a platoon of bridesmaids and guests. “We work closely with our customers to understand their event so we can provide the detailed touches to make each event feel custom and special,” said Lang. Tobin added that they take the time to ask a lot of questions about the event and will look to find special cheeses, edible flowers, nuts, fruits, spreads and candies to add that final unique flair. “That’s what sets us apart from our competitors,” said Lang. “People can tell when it’s one of our boards because we are very intentional with what we put on it.”

At that moment, kismet intervened and a voice from a table over chimed in with “Are you from Honey & Brie 303? I just ordered from you!” Rachel Leachman, an Erie resident, overheard the interview and shared her excitement for the medium charcuterie platter and vegetable crudite she ordered for her (adorable) child’s upcoming first birthday. “I wanted to create a fun party and not worry about putting together pretty food. I want to be present,” Leachman added.

Special events drive the core of their business, and Lang and Tobin are always seeking seasonal inspiration for their boards. “We incorporate different colors, ingredients and textures for different seasons,” said Tobin. “We have cheeses with black rinds, green marble, and different colors for all the holidays. We use a lot of herbs on our winter boards and local Tabor Farm flowers on our spring boards.” They are excited for the Farmer’s Market to open so they can source more of their vegetables and fruits locally in season.

Honey & Brie 303 collaborates with a few local businesses including Charmed 33 and Lottie Lane to host charcuterie workshops to create seasonal boards. These workshops sell out as they provide each participant with step by step instructions and a board to take home. Lang and Tobin are generous with their tips and said that most people overlook adding different textures of cheeses, enough accouterments and a diversity of color.

Building a business together hasn’t come without some challenges. Tobin and Lang burst into laughter recalling a particular event involving an overloaded wagon, loose pea gravel, steep hills and dripping sweat. Aside from those small snafus, Lang and Tobin said their biggest challenges have come in juggling motherhood and the pressures that come with owning and growing a business. They have their sights set on a brick and mortar in Old Town Erie where folks can come and pair some wine and charcuterie.

In the end, I’ll hold on to a couple of these ideas for later and set my group of carnivores loose on some charcuterie that’s really too pretty for my grubby sons to eat. And I’ll take the advice from Rachel from the coffee shop and just be present.