Hollandaze Gourmet • Georgetown
Hollandaze Gourmet • Georgetown
Written by Beth Wade Wednesday, 07 November 2007
From grief comes passion for cooking.
When Laurie Holland’s husband died, she decided to make a fresh start in a new city. She moved from Dallas to Georgetown and opened Hollandaze Gourmet, taking her husband’s love of the kitchen and cooking and turning it into a business.
“It appealed to me after he died to do something that was a passion, rather than a job,” Holland said. “He used to say, and this wasn’t his saying, ‘Approach life and love with reckless abandon.’ As horrible as it was in my life, it turned out to be a blessing. I love my store, and I love my customers.”
With the help of her 94-year-old great uncle, who owned a gourmet kitchen supply store in Dallas for 54 years, Holland set up her store in 2004 and now offers a wide variety of cooking supplies, including cookware, bakeware, gadgets, gourmet coffees and teas, spices, specialty foods, cookbooks and gifts.
“I hope to stay Georgetown’s exclusive kitchen store, at least for a while,” Holland said. “Sometimes competition is good, but for right now, I’m happy being the only one.”
Twice a month, typically running through the fall and winter, Holland offers cooking classes in the store.
Having recently moved into a new location, she is now able to offer grilling and outdoor cooking classes on her back patio. Hollandaze was previously located two miles east on Williams Drive, and Holland celebrated the store’s relocation with a grand re-opening Nov. 3.
The class size tends to get smaller during the spring and summer months, she said, but with the addition of outdoor cooking classes, that could change.
A certified chef prepares a full meal while the pupils watch and drink wine. Each class is $45 and includes two glasses of wine and a full meal.
At the end of each class, everyone leaves with the recipe and a better understanding of how to make it, Holland said.
Holland is constantly looking to add new chefs to her line-up of teachers.
Customers can also request private classes and select the chef, night and menu.
Holland’s stock includes a few pet kitchen items, such as food bowls and placemats.
“Pets are part of the family in the kitchen, so I felt they should be included,” she said.
Holland said the inventory at Hollandaze is ever-evolving and she is happy to fill customer requests.
“What I like is it’s about relationships and getting to know customers,” Holland said. “I try to listen as far as what they want. I’ll change the inventory based on customer needs and will continue to do that.”
Story of a Hollandaze chef
Jerry Pizzitola, owner of Kitchen Duty, an in-home chef service, has been teaching cooking courses for Laurie Holland for three years. He graduated from Delgado Culinary Institute in New Orleans. Pizzitola is one of several chefs who teach at the store.
Hollandaze Gourmet, 4701 Williams Drive, Georgetown, 864-0076 • www.hollandazegourmet.com
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