Gourmet pantry boutique Baker & Olive to open first Orange County location in November
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (October 25, 2016) – Baker & Olive, the premier purveyor of internationally renowned olive oils, vinegars, cheeses and other specialty foods, is set to open its first Orange County location. At its Corona del Mar Plaza shop in Newport Beach, food lovers will be able to find in-house expertise from Baker & Olive’s resident chef and cheese monger for any culinary needs.
“Whether you’re entertaining guests and need to put together a quick and easy charcuterie plate or popping in to grab a quick gift, Baker & Olive will be the perfect destination for avid home cooks and food lovers to find delicious inspiration,” said Easther Liu, chief marketing officer for Irvine Company Retail Properties.
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 of the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. The Orange County shop – which will be its flagship location – 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, as well as 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. Of course, 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.”
Shopping at Baker & Olive goes beyond perusing the aisles – it’s where the customer will be able to smell, touch and taste a variety of premium food products – from truly unique olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars to a wide but approachable range of specialty food products. Better yet, each customer will have their own expert to consult with. Not sure how to use that blackberry ginger balsamic vinaigrette? Baker & Olive’s in-house chef will show you how to use it to create a refreshing salad dressing. Need to throw together a quick get together? Baker & Olive’s chef manager will help you whip together a gorgeous arrangement of salumi and cheese.
The culinary team at Baker & Olive always strives to source its handcrafted and chef-inspired food offerings locally – from fermented vegetables and granola, to bone broths, organic breads and salumi.
Baker & Olive is at 928 Avocado Ave., Suite 928 at Corona del Mar Plaza – next to Beauty Collection.
About Irvine Company Retail Properties
With three distinguished shopping centers including Fashion Island, Irvine Spectrum Center and The Market Place, Irvine Company Retail Properties also includes 40 neighborhood and community centers with a diverse mix of stores and restaurants. Irvine Company Retail Properties has recently welcomed several exclusive retailers to its portfolio, including Hello Kitty Café Pop Up Container, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, American Tea Room, Sushi Roku, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Mendocino Farms, Nespresso, Urban Decay, NIKE and more. For more information, please visit ShopIrvineCompany.com.