When Elias Cairo moved back to the US from Switzerland, he brought a big idea with him. He would use the traditional, time-honored methods he had learned for making delicious, artisan meats and cheeses, and create a really good European salumeria here in the Pacific Northwest.
Charcuterie: it’s a family affair
Starting his real-deal salumeria has been a pursuit of passion—Elias has a serious love for salami making. His sister Michelle understands this (no small thanks to their shared Greek heritage) so she became his partner in the business, and now Olympia Provisions is a total family affair, with all kinds of relatives contributing to the unique success of this premium charcuterie.
Going whole hog
Once Elias, Michelle, and their beyond-expectations-delicious charcuterie garnered the respect of the Portland area, they decided to expand their mission a bit—from making world-class salami to revolutionizing the world of meat itself.
They recognize that factory farming in US made it more difficult to gain access to high quality meats. That it has had a negative effect on the environment. And that its traditional practices are treat livestock inhumanely. So, Olympia Provisions started the Farmer’s Network, connecting local farmers in the Pacific Northwest and partnering with a third-party organization to ensure all participants comply with a high standard of animal welfare—that means no confinement to tiny stalls or crates, and no antibiotics or hormones used on the pigs.
This ensures that every Olympia Provisions salami is made with the highest quality meat, from caring farmers that treat their animals, land, and community with the utmost kindness.