Jul 15, 2013

New Helena Store Offers Gourmet Oils, Vinegars, SpicesBy Talia KnudsenHelenaIR.com

Helena, MT – The owner of newly opened Just Tapped, offering all natural gourmet infused olive oils, vinegars, spice mixes, rubs, dips and other culinary delights, said business went from good to steady in the first month. The small shop at 2201 N. Montana Ave. greets customers with wafts of spices and vinegars and promises samples of anything on the shelf that sparks curiosity.

Small tapped barrels of infused olive oil sold by the milliliter line a wall in the store. Owner Terry Cashell describes the oil, produced by small estates, much like a wine sommelier — noting things like origins, age, soil and sunlight. “It is made by people who care,” Cashell said.

Many of the items Just Tapped stocks are created in Bozeman by “sister” business Olivelle, a partnership founded by Brie Thompson seven years ago that imports and manufactures specialty oils and vinegars. Olivelle consists of several warehouses and a storefront on North 19th Avenue in Bozeman. Thompson creates the recipes for products Olivelle sells at their store and to sister businesses wholesale. Cashell can also handpick other products to sell in her business outside the Olivelle product line. Olivelle has another sister business in Billings. Thompson said in the Billings store, 28 of the top selling products came from her product line, so both businesses benefit from a quality product. Thompson is currently working with a potential sister in Denver.

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