Foodie Feature: Zee’s Charcuterie (@zeescharcuterie)

The Tri-Cities are full of great places to eat, so it’s no surprise that there are a whole bunch of folks who are highlighting the local food and drink scene.

In our Foodie Feature series, we’re putting the spotlight on Instagram influencers, restaurant owners, food bloggers, and more so our subscribers can get an intimate, in-depth look at the best that Tri-Cities cuisine has to offer.

This week’s featured foodie: Aziza, AKA Zee’s Charcuterie.

What kind of content do you focus on?

I focus more so on images of my food styling, and charcuterie. I also enjoy sharing new cheese and meat selections and share my own viewpoint on specific pairings as well.

What inspired you to get started?

I personally do not eat pork, I wanted to have a charcuterie experience of my own. I absolutely love the idea of pairing the selections up, enjoying a nice glass of wine, and great conversation in a casual setting. I made it a goal to look for alternative charcuterie meats such as chicken, beef, and turkey. I slowly discovered a small selection of meats that were also much healthier options! I started up during COVID, as families and friends were struggling with finding ways to connect safely. I had my family and friends over and I created individual boxes with some charcuterie selections.

My sister decided to post on her socials and others also really enjoyed this concept and asked me to make some for them and their families too. It became my outlet of creating, food styling, and a way to really help balance my mental well-being. To this day, this is a passion project of mine—I enjoy listening to others’ visions and trying my best to make them a reality! I truly enjoy these unique opportunities to showcase a little part of what I do!

What has come as a surprise for you about what you do?

I have built some wonderful connections with my family and friends, who also have spread the word and also have connections with community members who welcome me into their organizations. I've done pop-ups at Twin Sails Brewery in Port Moody as well as a pop-up at C Market in Port Coquitlam.

What would you like to do more of?

I would like to be more involved within my community, to be able to give back where I can, and as an educator at heart I want others to feel empowered in what they do. Setting up classes or small tutorials would be a wonderful way to involve community members of all ages to participate!

How has your community influenced your content?

I've noticed that more of my clients are local to our Tri-Cities area, which is so wonderful. I consider my family as my community, and once others found out about what I do, it almost became a “word of mouth.”

Anything else you'd like to add?

Zee's Charcuterie is a fraction of what I do. I'm a mom to two amazing kiddos, and an educator by profession. Each day I try to find a balance in my life, and I say to myself ‘how will I be able to make it through?’ But what makes me move forward is the fact that I can continue to do things that fill my cup.