Hometown: Essential Oils
February 01, 2018
Elkton Store Specializes In Flavored Oils, Vinegars
ELKTON — Of Valley Olive and Leaf’s 28 flavors of oils and vinegars, one of the most popular is the butter-flavored olive oil, co-owner Christina Hebert said.
“It tastes just like what you put on your popcorn, but there’s no fat in it, so it’s guilt-free,” she said.
Hebert and her partner, Daniel McLaughlin, both 38, marked the soft opening of their store at 110 W. Spotswood Ave. on Dec. 6. In addition to oils, they sell pasta, sauces and books on how to choose the best oils.
Customers can also taste oils and vinegars before buying. Samples include maple-flavored balsamic and oils in garlic, lime and blood orange flavors.
The store is partly the product of a chance encounter between the former high school sweethearts on Facebook in August.
“We didn’t see each other for 23 years,” Hebert said, “Then, Riverheads [High School in Augusta County] was planning our 20-year reunion, and he popped up on Facebook. I reached out to him, and he said we needed to have dinner. A week later he was moving in with me, and we decided to open a store together.”
Hebert and McLaughlin were inspired to open the store by their own love of quality cooking oils.
“My aunt owns a store just like this in Indiana,” Hebert said. “And we went to a similar store in Myrtle Beach and came home with a bunch of bottles, and then they kept running out. So we opened our own store where we could always have everything we want on demand.”
Valley Olive and Leaf’s oils and vinegars come from Veronica Foods in Oakland, Calif., where they are made with all-organic ingredients with no pesticides, McLaughlin said.
The couple label their oils and vinegars like wines, Hebert said, with each one categorized by fruitiness, bitterness and pungency.
Unlike some store-brand products, McLaughlin added, each of the couple’s oils is 100 percent olive oil and not cut with canola, vegetable or another kind of cooking oil.
The store’s products also contain polyphenols, chemical compounds found in fruits and vegetables.
Hebert hopes the store’s focus on organic products will attract food and health enthusiasts from all over the Valley and especially Harrisonburg.
“Everyone wants to live healthier and go organic,” she said.
Hebert and McLaughlin, who live in Elkton, decided to open in town to avoid Harrisonburg’s higher rents and to enjoy a small-town atmosphere.
“I’m a people person,” McLaughlin said. “I love people who come in and always have a story about everything. You don’t have that in a big city. In a small mountain town, it’s amazing what people will tell you.”
The couple want to eventually add 20 more flavors to the store’s product list, but are focusing on their grand opening on Saturday and whatever comes afterward.
“We’re not making any money yet, and it will be a long time before we make any money,” McLaughlin said. “We’re just worrying about survival.”
Christina Hebert, a co-owner of Valley Live and Leaf, helps Shannon Myers of Keezletown with olive and balsamic vinegar samples Friday in her Elkton store.
Valley Olive and Leaf offers a selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars, which can be purchased by the bottle.
ELKTON — Of Valley Olive and Leaf’s 28 flavors of oils and vinegars, one of the most popular is the butter-flavored olive oil, co-owner Christina Hebert said.
“It tastes just like what you put on your popcorn, but there’s no fat in it, so it’s guilt-free,” she said.
Hebert and her partner, Daniel McLaughlin, both 38, marked the soft opening of their store at 110 W. Spotswood Ave. on Dec. 6. In addition to oils, they sell pasta, sauces and books on how to choose the best oils.
Customers can also taste oils and vinegars before buying. Samples include maple-flavored balsamic and oils in garlic, lime and blood orange flavors.
The store is partly the product of a chance encounter between the former high school sweethearts on Facebook in August.
“We didn’t see each other for 23 years,” Hebert said, “Then, Riverheads [High School in Augusta County] was planning our 20-year reunion, and he popped up on Facebook. I reached out to him, and he said we needed to have dinner. A week later he was moving in with me, and we decided to open a store together.”
Hebert and McLaughlin were inspired to open the store by their own love of quality cooking oils.
“My aunt owns a store just like this in Indiana,” Hebert said. “And we went to a similar store in Myrtle Beach and came home with a bunch of bottles, and then they kept running out. So we opened our own store where we could always have everything we want on demand.”
Valley Olive and Leaf’s oils and vinegars come from Veronica Foods in Oakland, Calif., where they are made with all-organic ingredients with no pesticides, McLaughlin said.
The couple label their oils and vinegars like wines, Hebert said, with each one categorized by fruitiness, bitterness and pungency.
Unlike some store-brand products, McLaughlin added, each of the couple’s oils is 100 percent olive oil and not cut with canola, vegetable or another kind of cooking oil.
The store’s products also contain polyphenols, chemical compounds found in fruits and vegetables.
Hebert hopes the store’s focus on organic products will attract food and health enthusiasts from all over the Valley and especially Harrisonburg.
“Everyone wants to live healthier and go organic,” she said.
Hebert and McLaughlin, who live in Elkton, decided to open in town to avoid Harrisonburg’s higher rents and to enjoy a small-town atmosphere.
“I’m a people person,” McLaughlin said. “I love people who come in and always have a story about everything. You don’t have that in a big city. In a small mountain town, it’s amazing what people will tell you.”
The couple want to eventually add 20 more flavors to the store’s product list, but are focusing on their grand opening on Saturday and whatever comes afterward.
“We’re not making any money yet, and it will be a long time before we make any money,” McLaughlin said. “We’re just worrying about survival.”
Christina Hebert, a co-owner of Valley Live and Leaf, helps Shannon Myers of Keezletown with olive and balsamic vinegar samples Friday in her Elkton store.
Valley Olive and Leaf offers a selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars, which can be purchased by the bottle.
