Photo Karen Graham.
Picture are Avril Greer with daughter Ashley and granddaughter Adeline at their booth at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market. Recent arrivals to the village, the family has launched a food business to keep them busy during Steve and Avril’s retirement.
Millbrook family business launched last October by the Greer family as they were contemplating their move to Millbrook. Steve and his wife Avril were retiring, and their daughter Ashely was on maternity leave, so it seemed like a lot of free time was looming in their future. How to fill it? Their answer was to start a business.
Charcuterie boards have always played a role in Greer family celebrations, and the bigger, the better. The family thought their new community might share their appetite for this type of casual fare, and set out to test their idea.
Corks and Boards provides charcuterie products prepared fresh for delivery or pick up. Each collection includes cured meats and meat products, cheeses, artisan breads, olives, seasonal fruit, nuts, crackers and jellies prepared fresh on the day of delivery or pick up by their customers. They offer a range of sizes from individual portions to collections to serve large gatherings of up to a dozen guests.
Steve has taken his hand to producing the serving boards which feature a variety of woods and live edges. During cooler months, charcuterie collections can be set up on the board prior to delivery or pick up, but most of the time the food is boxed to ensure freshness and boards are sold separately. They range in price from $89 to $99 each. He is currently preparing a delivery to the Durham Police force for their Mental Health fundraiser. Policing careers feature prominently in this family, as their daughter Ashley and Avril’s brother are currently police officers, and Avril’s father also had a policing career in Scotland.
Products come from a variety of sources. The cheese are sourced primarily from Costco with some from Empire Cheese, meats are also purchased at that retailer as well as Farmboy, while the ice wine jellies are from Algoma in Durham or Niagara on the Lake.
The business sells primarily through its website, which Steve manages, which can be found at www.corksnboards.ca. The family is also a regular participant at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market. Welcome to the community! KG
