New business ready to serve
Anna Lazare is passionate about culinary experiences. Courtesy Anna Lazare
A new business has come to Kahnawake, and it comes from the same mind as the ever-successful Messy Kitchen.
Anna Lazare’s latest venture is called Red White & Cheddar and aims to fill what she saw as a gap in Kahnawake’s food market, with charcuterie boards and wine tastings available on the go.
The idea first started at a music festival in Toronto, where Lazare and a friend looked out at a sea of almost-identical stands that were mostly selling the same types of beer and mixed drinks, and only a hot dog stand to satisfy partygoers’ food cravings.
“We thought it would be really nice if they’d had wine and little snacks to go with it,” she said.
Lazare and her friend started coming up with names for the business, and the name “Red White & Cheddar” stuck. It’s been around two years since that day, but she’s remained dedicated to the idea ever since.
“I’ve stayed thinking about the end vision and being the first Indigenous woman who actually completes this, because there’s no other trailers like this in the surrounding areas. I think the closest one is in Ottawa,” she said.
The goal isn’t just to own a food truck, it’s to be the best around - that’s why Lazare has so far completed two levels of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) training to become certified in pairing wines and food.
She plans to continue her education by completing more levels in the future.
“When you eat certain things, your wine will taste different,” Lazare said. “A certain thing can make your red wine not taste as good, or taste more bitter, but if you pair it with the proper things, it’ll enhance the wine.”
When she’s up and running, Lazare plans to operate at events around the region as well as in Kahnawake.
Right now, Lazare is waiting for her official liquor license from the Quebec licensing board for alcohol, but she’s already operating with charcuterie boards, which can be purchased by contacting either the Red White & Cheddar Facebook page or by reaching out to Messy Kitchen directly.
Once she’s approved for alcohol sale, Lazare wants to be very specific about the kind of wines she offers.
“I want to keep the wines local, like from Quebec and Canada, that’s very important to me,” Lazare said, adding that the research process over the past two years has been intense. “It’s going all over Montreal, taste-testing, seeing price comparisons for charcuterie items and how much one would charge for a glass of wine.”
Right now, Lazare is offering two sizes of charcuterie boards, with the medium size costing $65, which would be able to feed six to 10 people, and the $110 large size board able to feed 12 to 18 people.
All items on the board are made in either Kahnawake, Quebec, or Canada, and customers can expect to see cured meats, seasonal cheeses, artisanal crackers, and even edible flowers on their boards, which Lazare is growing herself.
She’s also planning to work with local company Rowy’s on some pickled items for future boards.
Lazare plans to do an official soft launch for the brand in May and hopes that it will be able to grow and flourish alongside her main business, Messy Kitchen.
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“At catering events, I could do catering and also a charcuterie board, and offer a wine service as well, all in one package,” she said.
Those interested in trying out one of Lazare’s charcuterie boards can reach out to share more about their preferences, so that she can craft the perfect accompaniment for the occasion.
