Olive Branch Oil & Spice Co. New Woodbury Location

When White Bear Lake residents Bruce Bushey and Janet Richards got married in Greece in 2001, they were in love, but not just with each other. They’d also fallen head over heels for the European way of life: long family meals, quality foods, and healthy cooking with an emphasis on community and relaxation.A later vacation to Spain and Portugal finally inspired the couple to bring Mediterranean cooking back to the U.S. In 2012, they opened Olive Branch Oil & Spice Co. in White Bear Lake. And this summer, Woodbury Lakes welcomed the metro area’s second location.The new shop carries more than 200 spices and more than 50 varieties of olive oils and balsamic vinegars and is completely independent. “I didn’t want to be locked into a franchise, so I use a lot of independent businesses to import my balsamics and olive oils,” Bushey says. “There’s a real difference in quality.”On the shop’s shelves, you can find customer favorites like the sundried tomato, parmesan and garlic extra virgin olive oil, white strawberry peach balsamic vinegar and chipotle honey rub, in addition to local pastas, bread and honey.Bushey and Richards’ lifestyle models the Mediterranean products they admire and sell. “The first Sunday of every month, we have our own European-style family dinner,” Bushey says. “Starts at 5, ends at 8:30. It’s the best way to enjoy food, share stories and connect.”