By Leilani Orozco, Staff Writer
MANCHEGO: Poly High School Senior Molly Comer makes charcuterie boards in her free time.
Riverside Poly High School has talent all around, but with the change in setting this year, talent from Poly students is best found online. A few weeks ago, I stumbled across an Instagram page named Manchego by Molly, and to my surprise, it was run none other than Poly senior Molly Comer (12). Molly transferred to Poly this year and fit in right away. After joining ASB, Molly has worked hard to make sure the school spirit is heard and seen on social media. Amid the chaotic pandemic, Molly has kept her spirits high by doing something she holds near and dear to her heart: making charcuterie boards!
The word Manchego, used in the name of Molly’s business, is actually a Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk of the manchego breed. It is a hard cheese with a butter-like texture and has flavor notes of nuttiness and caramel while being a mild cheese. As of Thanksgiving of 2019, Molly felt inspired to create a charcuterie board, “I was wanting to make a giant table spread for a long time and thought what better than for an appetizer for Thanksgiving,” said Molly. Her family absolutely loved the finished product and everyone agreed that she had a knack for this. “I was working for a holiday party and a person was there setting up a big table spread. I watched and thought ‘this would be so fun’ so as I helped with the event I created a business plan in my head. I started with my mom’s book club and took off from there,” Molly explained, and by December she had created Manchego by Molly.
On her website (linked below) and the Manchego by Molly Instagram, each board and table spread is carefully decorated with attention to detail. Some recurring foods are chocolate covered pretzels, blueberries, ham and turkey meats, grapes, crackers, and, of course, cheese. Besides making charcuterie boards and table spreads, Molly offers classes that teach ordinary people how to make them on their own. If that sparks your interest, you can take a 30-minute long Zoom class with her for only $10. You can also purchase your very own charcuterie board for just $20, there are multiple sizes available in case you want the board to feed more people than just yourself!
Molly explained that her business “works to support all types of people and uphold inclusivity.” She hosted a fundraiser for Black Lives Matter, raising over $2,000. By leading the fundraiser, Molly expressed that she learned “how to check [her] privilege and sustain the political movement and continue to be an ally.” Manchego by Molly is more than just a small business, it is a platform that promotes peace and unity in our community.
As a young business owner, she admits how hard it is to earn her respect from adults because some do not realize she can be professional too. Despite this, Molly believes that young business owners can broaden their idea of the caliber of people that can be business owners.
Here is the link to Molly’s website: https://manchegobymolly.com/