Meet our beloved sandwich maker, Sharon, or Shazz as she’s known around here (a childhood nickname that stuck). She’s at her best when she’s creating new sandwiches for our café while listening to her favorite ‘90s hip hop music.
We love Shazz’s energy, sense of humor, and knack for knowing which flavor combinations will produce the best results. A New England native who grew up just a few miles north of Aquidneck Island, Shazz knows comfort food and appreciates local ingredients. We had a chat with her while she was prepping her newest creation, the Dutch Crunch BLT (more on that later!).
Q: When did you start working at Sweet Berry Farm?
A: Eight years ago, in September 2014. Before then, I managed the kitchen at Pattie’s Pierogis in Fall River, MA. It was a great experience and I discovered that I work well under pressure. It comes in handy when we’re fulfilling a large bagged lunch order off our To Go Menu!
Q: How has Sweet Berry changed since you started working here?
A: It hasn’t. Sweet Berry Farm has stayed true to its comfort food roots. The consistency and quality never change. If anything, I would say that we’ve refined the menu over the years by identifying customer favorites and have learned a lot from experimenting. That’s kind of the best part of the job.
Q: How do you use seasonal ingredients in your sandwiches?
A: I look for opportunities to incorporate crops we grow here on the farm. The first seasonal sandwich is the Strawberry Fields Wrap. It’s made with Sweet Berry Farm’s fresh strawberries, grilled chicken breast, goat cheese, candied spiced nuts, and arugula dressed lightly in a vinaigrette and balsamic glaze.
In the fall I make a delicious sandwich with roasted butternut squash, fresh arugula, goat cheese, candied spiced pecans, and Portuguese chourico sausage. It keeps the sandwich case interesting and I have a lot of fun with it.
Q: Do you have a favorite sandwich?
A: I love Ye Olde Thanksgiving Sandwich on cranberry pecan bread. The freshly roasted turkey is delicious. I roast 10 or 20 turkeys a week to have enough for all the sandwiches I make! I also make the herb stuffing and sweet and tangy cranberry sauce from scratch. I add in some crunchy lettuce. It’s a delicious sandwich to enjoy any time of the year.
Q: Are any of the sandwiches you make your personal recipes?
A: Oh yes. My newest creation is the Dutch Crunch BLT. I make it with parmesan-crusted chicken breast that I bake in the oven. It comes out so delicious and juicy. I layer it with lettuce, tomatoes, and a little mayo. The Dutch Crunch Bread I use is fantastic.
I also make many condiments myself, like the curried mango chutney mayo, sundried tomato aioli, avocado spread, and the blue cheese spread for the My Bleu Heaven Sandwich. It allows me to create the flavor I’m looking for and it also makes the sandwiches taste fresher.
Q: What do you like about working at Sweet Berry Farm?
A: It’s very lively here. The people I work with are my kind of people. We have the same type of humor and attitude about life so it makes work feel less like work. I love being here.
I also enjoy the creative freedom I have to make seasonal sandwiches and invent new items. We maintain a sandwich menu for bagged lunches and custom orders with all our customer favorites. But the sandwiches we sell in the café of our market are often made with seasonal ingredients, various breads, or something I just dreamt up (sometimes literally!). It’s fun to innovate and stumble on new recipes.
Q: There's always some upbeat music playing in the kitchen. What do you choose when it's your turn to pick?
A: I love my funky hip hop, ‘90s music, Run DMC, Beastie Boys. That’s where I get my energy from.
Q: Is there anything you would tell people who've never been to Sweet Berry Farm?
A: The sandwiches are not your typical deli menu items. We focus on unique, seasonal, and local ingredients whenever possible. Our bread is delivered daily at 4 am from Pain d'Avignon Bakery on Cape Cod. We use their sourdough, multi-grain, cranberry pecan, French bread, and more. Everyone here cares deeply about quality and goes out of their way to prepare ingredients from scratch. The results make it worth it.