We’re introducing you to our passionate team of experts. Today’s featured Deli crew member is our Administrative Specialist, Christine Krause!
Meet Christine Krause
Christine grew up on the East side of Detroit on Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township and attended school at Eastern Michigan University. She got her bachelors in fine arts with a concentration in painting, a minor in art history and art education, is certified to teach art in grades K-12, and has a small business certificate. During college, she started her own gardening and landscaping business called Weeds and Seeds (did we mention she’s also a certified master gardener?!), which she ran for many years until seasonal allergies got the better of her (nope, we’re not pollen your leg!). Christine loved Washtenaw so much, she decided to stay! She and her husband John moved to a different part of the county, the village of Manchester, in 2000.
Christine at Work
Christine has been with the Deli for 23 years! She began as a holiday temp at Zingerman’s Mail Order, wrapping coffee cakes and brownies. When the holidays were over, she was invited to apply for the mission control specialist position (similar to a receptionist) at the Deli. She’s bounced around in various positions in the Deli office ever since! She is an important bridge between the Accounting and Purchasing departments, working on accounts receivable and invoice processing, as well as managing a million other details that make the Deli’s operations run super smoothly. She didn’t have a background in food prior to the Deli, so learning about the food and the amazing people who make it has been an incredible experience.
Her favorite part of working at the Deli is, of course, the community. “I’ve worked with some amazing people over the years,” says Christine. “Also, it’s not boring. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, something interesting and different happens. And I get to eat all this great food!” Three of her current faves here at the Deli are Summerdown Peppermint Creams, Sea Salt and Black Pepper Potato Chips, and rugelach. The Bakehouse has been making this classic Jewish pastry for years, but Christine recently discovered them for herself, saying:
I’m really loving the apricot ones right now. They are that nice balance of sweet, but not too sweet. There is a little crunch but some silky mouthfeel also. They have it all and I just made myself hungry!
Christine at Home
Christine loves to spend time with her son Curtis, whose favorite activities are currently robotics and mountain biking. She loves taking long walks in the woods by her house and spending time with her extended family. She’s also a big reader and usually has a couple of books going at once. Perhaps not surprisingly, she’s a fan of libraries and volunteers at her local library by serving on the Board of Trustees!
5 Fun Facts
Christine’ top two hobbies are abstract painting and studying art.
She didn’t try butter until she was 15 years old! After experiencing it on a cultural exchange trip in Germany (“It was so amazing! I was slathering it on everything!”), butter immediately became one of her favorite things.
Her mom always kept a box of slightly stale Cheez-It® crackers on their boat when she and her siblings were kids—it wasn’t until she had a child of her own that she realized you don’t have to have pruney fingers and be wrapped in a towel to eat them!
Her dream Deli Meal is a perfectly made #36 Lila & Izzie’s Skokie Skidoo with a crisp new pickle.
If Christine had a sandwich named after her, it would be her favorite sandwich to make at home: cheddar, sliced new dill pickles, mayo, and yellow mustard on toasted bread.
