To close out Women History Month, we are celebrating Catherine Nolan of Coco Fine Foods. We were so excited to carry this brand in store because not only are their products made right here in Miami but they also take great care in sourcing their ingredients as sustainably as possible. Read on to find out more about this amazing women-owned brand!

Please provide a brief bio about your business.

Coco Fine Foods is a modern, artisanal food company in South Florida. With a passion for local foods and tropical flavors, we are dedicated to sourcing fresh, sustainable produce wherever possible and selecting the finest quality ingredients for our creations. Our products encapsulate the diversity of sensory elements encountered through travels and exploration of markets in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

What inspired you to start your business?

One simple element of a complicated recipe in culinary school. I was tasked with preparing a jam as part of a team effort to compose an elaborate multi-layered dish. That 20 minutes in doing so was an epiphany for me. I adored the unadulterated simplicity of adding very little to a beautiful piece of fruit to capture the pure intensity of its flavor. It was a peaceful, meditative process that I enjoy to this day.

How did you decide on your mission statement?

“Memory, emotion, and modern flavor captured in a jar.”

I feel that everything emotional and living can be sublimated into food and communicated to others creatively through cooking, with so much of that related to memory. When customers sample our recipes, they often relate the combination of flavor, texture, and aromas to childhood memories and cherished moments throughout life that they share with us and may go on to create with our products. It’s a wonderful storytelling and sensory experience on many levels.

What does a woman-owned business mean to you?

It means camaraderie, support, and friendship. I have met so many wonderful female founders along the way that are now cherished friends and colleagues. Their ongoing generous support and encouragement are immeasurable in their understanding of our common struggles and goals. While there are more structured resources in place for female entrepreneurs than in previous generations, there are still broader cultural biases yet to overcome; progress in that regard is still slow and incremental.

What is the ultimate Coco Fine Foods difference?

That is a challenging question to answer as it is a continually evolving creative process. I think what may be distinctive about Coco Fine Foods is the idea of combining a delicious-tasting product with a beautiful gift item. We placed a great deal of effort into sourcing luxury papers for our jars along with thoughtful design with the idea that it offers an exceptional hostess gift in much the same way as a lovely candle or a nice bottle of wine.

Where do you source your spices?

We take great care to source ingredients for all our products from a variety of sustainable and socially responsible individuals ranging from local fruit farms and bee keepers to smaller-scale artisanal spice merchants committed to fair-trade practices within their supply chains.

About Source 

You can find Coco Fine Foods products either in store or online. Visit us in store Monday through Friday, 10:30am - 6pm and online shopping is available. Online orders are typically available for pickup within 1-2 hours.