Exploring Life & Business with Amy Zelinsky of BoucheBox

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Zelinsky.

Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The BoucheBox part of my story was actually born out of the pandemic. I’ve been an LA-based event producer for 20 years, and when the pandemic hit, business completely halted. I remember feeling like I suddenly had no purpose, so I was constantly looking for something to do. Like everyone else, not being able to go anywhere, I was getting all kinds of fun activities delivered. I did (lots of) wine tastings and chocolate tastings and beer tastings and even a coffee tasting.

As an event producer and a foodie, I had always envisioned producing an ingredient-centric food festival, showcasing the nuanced varieties of pantry fundamentals like olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. And when in-person events stopped, and these unique activities were being delivered right to my door, the idea hit me: Bring that food-tasting experience home. The concept evolved over the next few months, and eventually we landed on the subscription model we have today.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anything is a smooth road these days, but it’s definitely been a fun and winding one. Starting a product-based business in the middle of a pandemic with very little capital means you have to get really creative. I look back on the early days of testing products and packaging and marketing materials and kind of laugh at the way we “MacGyvered” things together. There was a lot of leaning on family and friends (there still is, in fact), and I’m so blessed to have such a strong community.

Like any business, we’ve had some start and stop moments along the way. After about a year, we hadn’t yet seen the kind of growth we were looking for. So we took a pause to evaluate what was working and what needed to be tweaked. We surveyed our subscribers, took their feedback back to the drawing board and modified the product to better suit our community’s needs. The end result was the same great product, tweaked to better fit what our customers wanted, and a hugely successful relaunch.

As you know, we’re big fans of BoucheBox. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
BoucheBox is a monthly culinary tasting experience, centered around ingredients we use every day. Many people don’t realize how many different varieties of “everyday” ingredients exist. Take honey, for example. There are over 300 varietals of honey in the U.S. alone, and they have very different flavor profiles. Other ingredients we’ve highlighted include cooking oils, liquid sweeteners, vinegar, chocolate, extracts and superfood seeds.

BoucheBox is ultimately about discovery and community. Whether it’s discovering uncommon ingredients or finding novel uses for an “old standby;” whether it’s meeting new friends or sharing new recipes with old friends, we want to explore it all and share it with others who find the same passion in both food and community.

Here’s how it works. Each month we send out eight samples of that month’s themed ingredient. A QR code in the box takes you to an online interactive tasting experience. Recipes, tasting cards and a fun kitchen gadget round out the box. And each quarter we host live virtual “Taste & Toast” events, where we gather together online, go through the tasting live and have a professional chef take us through some of the recipes. We’re also excited about some IRL events on the horizon.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
To put it simply, the subscription industry is exploding. It’s been steadily growing for years now. And then the pandemic hit and suddenly no one could go anywhere, but they still wanted to have some kind of experience or activity or connection with family they couldn’t see in person. Subscriptions filled that need, and even though we’re able to connect in person again, the industry is expected to continue to grow exponentially.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bouchebox.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bouchebox
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bouchebox 

Image Credits
Trent Lanz