News

Q&A with Kolsvart CEO Jonathan Roos

It's true. We came for the packaging, but stayed for the candy. 
Malmö-based Kolsvart is making a big mark in the licorice world. The product is super-delicious with both classic and unique flavor combinations, a give-back ethos, and enviable packaging design. We stock the brand in our shop. You are devouring it. And, we wanted to learn more. Jonathan Roos, CEO of Kolsvart, provided some details. 
Is your work for the love of licorice or the love of fish?
Tough question! Our foundation is really the love for simple beauty and not making things more complicated than they have to be. Candy is such a fun product to work with, but we try to also mix in some serious elements. Supporting the restoration of water environments is one of those elements. It feels good doing these extra things but it is really our customers who are making it possible so we hope they feel part of this too.
Yes! I noticed that the white-packaged fish (Turbot, Cod, Pike) mentions this. Can you tell us a little more about these?
That's right. We donate part of the proceeds from these products to a local Swedish organization that uses the funds to restore fish habitats, promote healthy fish stocks, and raise awareness about water environments. We've custom-made all of these molds after real Swedish fish—Turbot, Cod, Pike. Surprisingly, often people think that the candy contains real fish, but that is not the case!
Dogs or Cats?
I'm a dog person, but finding new appreciation for cats after seeing all of these funny cat compilations on YouTube and Instagram.
How did you decide to make licorice? What does Kolsvart mean?
It was a coincidence. It all started as a cafe in Malmö that sadly failed. Our licorice was the one product that worked, so the love of pure and real flavors took new shape in the form of Kolsvart. The name itself means pitch black or charred black. We joke that it was also the general outlook after the cafe went belly up :)
We're suckers for great packaging. Can you tell us a little about the design?
I can't take any credit for the packaging but I love it as well! The design is the work of my dad and the thought behind the waxy paper was to choose a material that conveys the same real and genuine feel as what's inside. It's also a nod to how produce used to be packaged in the old days. We used the typeface Arial simply because it was first on the list in Word and it worked.
Favorite flavor or fish shape?
Right now I'm really into sour stuff so the Sour Roding or the Turbot.
When in Malmö, where MUST one eat?
For fine dining, Lyran is a great choice. For everyday eats, Spoonery is one of our favorites. But, Malmö is also great for quick international street food. They say "if you've seen Malmö, you've seen the world." Maybe that's silly, but there's at least some truth to it when it comes to food!  

Shopping, Fundraising, Lending a Hand

We're ready to start decking the halls. Are you?

Join us December 7th (11a-6p) & 8th (12-5p). We'll have fresh holiday greens and wreaths of fresh and foraged materials courtesy of Erin Heath, creative force at Forêt Desgin Studio. Forêt is a floral and event styling company and Erin’s love of flowers and the natural world, combined with her background in art and visual display, give her arrangements a sculptural quality, highlighting the natural movement and seasonality of the flowers, vines and fruiting branches she uses. We're over the moon that she'll be creating one-of-a-kind holiday wreaths for Pod this holiday season.

Freshly baked lemon/almond tortas from Russo's will at-the-ready / boxed and bowed. Seriously, these are divine and make a wonderful hostess gifts. In short, we'll have plenty of holiday cheer for your while you're picking out your greenery and plenty of gifts will be in-store to help you to start OR complete your lists.

This annual weekend event is especially important to us because we'll be donating a portion of our weekend sales to Rosie's Place, a local organization whose mission is close to our hearts.

Rosie's Place was founded in 1974 as the first women's shelter in the United States. Located in Boston, their mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity, and find security in their lives. Today, Rosie's Place not only provides meals and shelter, but they provide a range of support from housing to education services. Rosie's Place relies SOLELY on the generous support of individuals, foundations, and corporations and DOES NOT accept any city, state, or federal funding. 

But wait! There's more.
As a heartfelt 'thanks', we'll be running a Super raffle. Anyone who makes a purchase at Pod this weekend can throw their name into the 'hat' to win. Presently, we have very generous donations from Cutty's, Luce, Bagelsauraus, 
Breadboard Bakery, Savenor's, Patch NYC, Covet + Lou, Hi-Rise Bread Company, 
Family Dinner, Field & Vine, and Lekker Home. 

It's a fun time. We help you out, you help us out, we all help Rosie's out. There's a lotta love around this weekend and we hope you will find a moment to participate. XO

Custom Embroidery with High Hand Mending: Sunday, November 24th

Join us Sunday, November 24 from 12-5pm as we host High Hand Mending Company at Pod.  
Kristen Lombardi, the “hands” behind High Hand Mending will be here with her needle and thread to offer custom hand-embroidery.  Kristen is a designer, stylist and highly skilled seamstress. You'll recognize her name from her sister business Manimal Moccasins. With an expertise in visible mending, she brings new life to beloved textiles through her artful stitching.  
Kristen will be offering a choice of letters, numbers and symbols to be hand- embroidered on a piece of your choosing.  You can bring your own pieces from home or select something from Pod (i.e. kitchen cloths, aprons, handkerchiefs, hand towels).  Pricing will begin at $15.00. 
Time permitting, Kristen will embroider your item while you shop or will bring pieces home to finish, returning them for in-store pickup at Pod the following week. 
We think Kristen’s work will make a really special one-of-a-kind gift for the upcoming holidays.
Please stop by and say hello!  

Saturday October 5th Fish and Sips !

Please join us at Pod on Saturday October 5th for a special in-store event featuring Marc Bareda of Papa’s Catch Salmon and a wine tasting with  René Becker of High-Rise Bakery and Luce Restaurant/Bar.

12-4p: Papa’s Catch Salmon, based in Southborough, MA offers sustainably-caught, wild Alaskan sockeye salmon. Harvested in Bristol Bay, Alaska, which boasts the largest and healthiest wild sockeye salmon run on the planet, Papa’s Catch takes pride in providing a sustainable product that nourishes individuals and communities alike.  Marc will be selling salmon fillets--whole and portioned--that have been de-boned, vacuum packaged and flash frozen. The freshness and quality is un-matched. *If you prefer, salmon can be pre-ordered through Papa's Catch website ahead of time and picked up at our event.
  
2-4p: René Becker, of family owned Cambridge favorites Hi-Rise Bakery and Luce Restaurant/Bar, has been involved in the wine trade for over 30 years. René hand-selects the wine and spirits at the Huron Ave. Hi-Rise location and the wine list at Luce. He travels and tastes constantly, searching for wines that offer both exceptional taste and good value.  René will be offering his knowledge and a taste of his seasonal picks that pair well with the theme of our event. 
 
Both Papa’s Catch and Hi-Rise/Luce embody the values we believe in here at Pod: attention to quality, taste, discovery, nuance, and sustainability while nurturing and building a sense of community.  We’re honored to host these two and hope that events like these continue to strengthen and build our own community here, which we are so very grateful for.  (Yes, that means you!)

For more info on Papa’s Catch visit here: https://papascatchsalmon.com
For more info on Hi-Rise Bakery and Luce visit here: http://www.hi-risebread.com

End of the School Year Ice Pop Social: June 14th, 2:30-4:30p

It's the end of the school year and we are bringing the folks at Wild Pops back-by popular demand! On Friday, June 14th, from 2:30-4:30p, the Wild Pops cart will be parked in front of Pod selling their small-batch, all-natural, ice pops. (Let's pray for sun ok?)

We're putting a call out to all eager-to-be-let free kids, exhausted-from-the-overscheduling parents, and over-extended teachers. Temperatures are rising and the last day of school is seconds away. How about we all celebrate with flavors like Belgian chocolate, coconut, watermelon, and spicy pineapple. Plus, we love hearing about all of your Summer plans ! 

Tell your friends. Bring your dogs. Everyone is welcome. Pops will be $4 each.

Bensimon

Bensimons are back. Every spring we look forward to the day when these favorites arrive in the shop.  It means summer is just around the corner.

Originally worn by the French Army, this cotton and rubber tennis shoe was redesigned in 1978 by the Serge and Yves Bensimon. They were further popularized when style icon Jane Birkin began to wear them. 

Featuring a soft canvas upper and a flexible rubber sole, we are offering two different styles this season:
The Elastique: A shop favorite, the Bensimon elastique is a casual and soft canvas slip on with a stretchy front and flexible rubber sole. 

The Tennis: Bensimon's classic 'tennis' style sneaker. A soft canvas lace-up with flexible rubber sole.

Both styles are sized in whole European sizes.  The sizing tends to run small, so for example if you are a US 7.5, go up to a size 38. 

In our brick and mortar shop we've got other fun colors available as well. Some are even posted on our Instagram account if you'd care to take a peek. But, if you're in the neighborhood come say hi and see them for yourself. If you're not local, call or email and we'll be happy to help you out.