New charcuterie store, Graze Craze, now open in Tavares

TAVARES — A family from Alberta, Canada, has launched their life 2.0 in Lake County and hopes to spread the love with inventive charcuterie.

Their plan centers on running a shop creating aesthetically elevated meats, cheeses, jams, spreads and other tastiness that can be ordered for carry-out or catered for events. They also provide eye-catching edible gifts for loved ones.

Becki Layne and Steve and their son, Tyson Ray, run the Graze Craze, a new franchise concept at 4133 County Road 561 in the Southridge Shoppes plaza, Tavares.

The family hails from Calgary. In the first chapters of their lives together, Layne operated a roving sign-creating workshop called Swanky Planks. It was a fun activity for people hosting gatherings and events in Calgary, and Steve worked in the oil industry.

The signmaking-for-fun business was a success and Layne opened up her own home studio. "We had a walkout basement with a separate entrance and it worked out perfectly," she reminisced. "We did that for about six years and that just kind of gave us, I don't know, that creative bug. I think we've always had that."

Layne enjoys gathering people, as she did for several years to create fun and artful signage. It's no logical leap that she'd be a natural fit for the Graze Craze concept, which specializes in attractively arranged, sweet and savory grazing boards and boxes.

Steve, who got to spend time with his relatives in Croatia during childhood, grew up appreciating what we consider imported foods, aged and fresh meats and cheeses. He later visited Germany, Russia, the Middle East and other far-flung locales all over the world for his job and retired at the ripe young age of 50.

Suffice it to say, the patriarch brings an international sensibility to the Graze Craze operation. Combine his knowledge and methodical patience with Layne's warmth and creative flair, and you wind up with items like their luscious beet hummus, among other vegetarian-friendly options on the Graze Craze charcuterie boards.

So, what brought Layne and her family to Tavares?

"We had been coming down to Florida for 23 years because our boys were young and we would go on to Disney cruises," she explained.

"That first time came on a Wednesday and had to spend a couple nights in Kissimmee because there were just two flights a week going to Calgary," Steve added. "We had to spend a couple of days in the area, so we kept coming back, and every time we came back, we would tour around Lake County. We just fell in love with it."

Layne echoed her husband's sentiments about the area: "We like the small town charm of Mount Dora and Tavares, and then there's always something going on here. There's always an event; there's always a festival or a craft market ... It's amazing. We're meeting really nice people."

Their new shop is part of Big Flavor Brands, the food service division of Starpoint Brands, and they have been trained by the company to be skilled "Grazologists," displaying meats and cheeses with fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats and cheeses, artisanal sweets, nuts, jams and more.

Accommodations are made for every lifestyle, dietary preference or palate, and the grazing boards are available in a variety of size options to cater to any occasion, big or small. Arrangements for delivery and catering are available.

Specialty boards include the Gone Grazey designed for balance and offers a mix of cured meats, premium cheeses, crackers, fresh produce, nuts and more.

Layne said that she favors the Vegegrazian, an impeccably designed board with a medley of fresh fruits and vegetables for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle, and Tyson is a fan of all the sweets and cheeses.

Extra touches on several of the boards at Graze Craze include an aromatic snip of fresh rosemary, homemade jams and other pleasant little surprises.

If your sweet tooth is craving something, there’s the Sweet & Grazey, hand-crafted using gourmet chocolates and baked goods paired with sweet dips.

The artisan-inspired charcuterie offerings at Graze Craze are available in different size options, from Char-Cutie-Cups and picnic boxes for nibbling to sharing-size boards with enough fresh food to feed a large party.

The food displays are ideal for elevating work meetings, family gatherings, lavish events and more, while they also make for memorable, enticing gifts that should impress even the most cynical of eaters.

Layne said she's excited about going out in the community. Starting in January, she and the Graze Craze fam will partner with Total Wine in the Villages to offer their grazing boards at tastings in the stores, so customers can learn how to pair wine with different nibbles. There will also be instructional clinics at the Tavares location.

And, as far as good omens go, the family's new business faces west and allows the couple to enjoy the golden light of sunset daily, something that's happened serendipitously over the years."Every home we've ever had for probably the last 20 years we've faced west, so we get the sunset," Steve said with a smile. "Even here, which I find amazing. Just before we close the sun's setting and we get that nice orange sky."

Graze Craze is open for pickup, catering and free local delivery Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday and Monday by appointment only at 4133 County Road 561 in the Southridge Shoppes, Tavares. For more information, call 352-508-5107.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Tavares' Graze Craze spreads the love of creative charcuterie