Local DC Chef Launches a New Food Brand to Get Us Back Around the Table
Et Oliva inspires a connection and reconnection with food and each other.
Travel often introduces us to new adventures, new cultures, and new foods. A smell or taste can transport us back to our favorite travel memories. Patrick Karsu, a chef of 15 years, is of Irish descent, but his partner is Turkish, and the inspiration for et Oliva. After many trips throughout the Mediterranean, Patrick and his partner longed for fresh food and bright flavors but couldn’t find them at home. Patrick took matters into his own hands in November 2021 and launched et Oliva pronounced (et OH- lee-va). Et Oliva offers flavors of the Mediterranean in the form of olive oil, jams, spreads, and Turkish lavosh crackers. For Patrick, it is all about pure flavors and reconnecting with family and with friends.
Et Oliva is Latin for “and olives.” Their Cretan olive oil is seasonal, harvested using olives from several families in a small village. Every October is the olive harvest. The olives are harvested from family farms, brought together, and pressed on the one press in the village. The spreads and jams are not simply crushed figs, olives, and peppers, but complex combinations of fragrant spices like laurel, coriander, thyme, and star anise.
Like many entrepreneurs, Patrick learned that when you run your own business you get to do something you love every day, something you are passionate about. But with ownership comes many hats, and Patrick is gaining an understanding that “When you’re working in the business, you’re not working on your business”.
Patrick secured et Oliva’s place by reaching out to people and asking, asking them to try his crackers, and pounding the pavement to make it happen; he was not afraid to advocate for his business. Working toward a Master’s in Business Administration, along with his time in corporate, taught Patrick how to have a diverse mindset for business. When launching et Oliva Patrick started cooking and creating the brand from Union Kitchen. After getting his feet wet, Patrick began working with Pod Foods, which helps emerging brands distribute their products. He now works with a firm specializing in consumer product goods, Rodeo, to assist him in building the foundation for his operational support.
Beyond his life as a chef, Patrick was drawn to the nonprofit world, from working with wildlife organizations to studying food waste in hotels. He desires to build bridges in communities with the philosophy that, “You can’t just take, you have to give back.” He is registered with the LGBT Chamber of Commerce with aspirations of becoming B Corp certified to leverage his success with et Oliva in order to serve the community.
Patrick is making connections and investing in the foundational operations of et Oliva to achieve a thriving business. For small business owners, he advises that “it is still your business whether you are making stuff or not”, solidify your operations and “pay yourself first.”
Patrick wants all of his customers to know that Et Oliva is true Aegean food that is close to nature, filled with flavors of the sun. It is essential to share food and experiences with people, the act of eating is very intimate. We can leave behind the time when having a meal was a mindless activity and get back to living and celebrating with food.
The et Oliva line is available in stores like MOM’s Organic Market, Foxtrot, Broad Branch Market, Each Peach, Dent Place Market, and others.
Discover more from Flights and Foods
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
4,844 Comments
jathagam porutham
I believe this internet site has some real great info for everyone. “He who has not looked on Sorrow will never see Joy.” by Kahlil Gibran.
Deluna4d
It’s hard to come by educated people on this topic, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks|
Bk8
Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My site addresses a lot of the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you happen to be interested feel free to shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Awesome blog by the way!
Bk8
You made some respectable points there. I seemed on the internet for the issue and located most individuals will associate with along with your website.
Inatogel
We’re a bunch of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable info to work on. You’ve done an impressive activity and our whole group can be grateful to you.
jackwin77
Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to browse your blog on my iphone during lunch break. I love the information you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my cell phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, fantastic site!
Deluna4d
Link exchange is nothing else however it is only placing the other person’s blog link on your page at appropriate place and other person will also do same for you.|
mpo800
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossips and net and this is actually irritating. A good site with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for keeping this site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Cant find it.
Deluna4d
I have read so many articles about the blogger lovers however this piece of writing is really a nice paragraph, keep it up.|
poker88
Hi there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.