ABOUT

Who and What is Curio Spice Co.?

We’re direct-importers of spices from around the world, including small farms from our East Coast home. We’re makers of expressive spice blends, grinding and mixing the spices ourselves in our factory in Massachusetts. We’re storytellers working to amplify the voices of farmers, producers, families and communities across the globe, especially those of women, who’ve historically been silenced.

We’re all about social and environmental change happening through good food, compelling stories, and authentic art. We use our mission and values as a compass to navigate this ever-changing world, and we treat spices as lens through which we can see the world, and each other, differently. We’re glad you’re here!

Our Story

2014

The Trip That Started It All

Volunteering on a saffron farm in Kozani, Greece inspires Claire to dive into the world of single-origin spices. Her book "Art of the Harvest" chronicles her time there.
Claire Cheney in a saffron field in Greece
2015

Public Benefit Corporation

Curio established as a Public Benefit Corporation. Claire formally starts Curio with her first origin-inspired blends - Kozani Spice, Aegean Salt, and Kandy Spice.
Three Curio Spice tins on a watercolor background
2016

Retail Shop

Retail shop and production studio open. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Claire Cheney jumping in front of a store named 'Curio Spice Co' with a chalkboard sign that says "Now Open!"
2017

Vanilla Sourcing

Claire travels to Madagascar to learn about its complex vanilla economy.
Two women sitting together, one wearing a black tank top and the other in a brown apron, in a room with wooden crates and baskets.
2018

Certified B Corporation™

We become a Certified B Corporation™. Our first full-time employee, Sam P., is happy to work on a cardboard desk, and still pushes the company to new heights. 
Curio Spice Co & B Corp logo
2019

Focus on Farmers

We dig into local, New England sourcing, expand support of female farmers, and Claire visits Ethiopian spice farms with her 18-month old. (Claire wondering why she thought it was a good idea to bring her toddler to the jungle.)
Claire Cheney holding her baby in the jungle in Ethiopia.
2020

COVID-19

The pandemic forces us to shut our doors but we are considered an 'essential business' and pivot our huge catalog online. (All masked up!)
Two masked people working in a workshop with shelves of jars and boxes.
2021

Growth

Demand surges, thanks to our customers, and we need more space. We search for a new production facility. Claire's second daughter is born.
Claire Cheney, pregnant, standing in the new Winchester location as it is under construction.
2022

Big Moves

Our new production facility opens in Winchester, Massachusetts just in time for the holidays! (Sam O. with Bertha the grinder.)
Spices being dumped from a large metal bowl into the grinder.
2023

Sharing Stories

We film Claire's Colombian sourcing trip, creating a mini-documentary (the start of a series!) chronicling the stories of women in spice.
Four people in Colombia with annatto harvest
2024

More Growth

Our team grows to 30! We release our 119th blend and film a second mini-documentary about women in spice, featuring Moroccan rose farmers. (Claire in Morocco.)
Claire Cheney with two women from the Femmes Dades Agricultural Cooperative in Morocco
2025

Milestones!

We celebrate our 10th year in business, and become a Certified Women Owned Business.
Curio Spice Co. logo with 'Women Owned' certification badge on a white background

And Beyond

What's next? It's a strange era, so we're digging even deeper to help our farmers and champion women's rights. What do you want to see in Curio's future? Let us know by emailing support@curiospice.com.

Photo of Claire Cheney holding a spoon

Did You Know?

In a former life, Claire worked in specialty coffee. She was even once a nationally ranked barista. And top 5 in New England!

Accidental Blend

Our all-around best selling blend, Magic Salt, was made in error while making a different blend!

Hear the Story
Shelves with labeled containers holding various spices in a storage room.

One School Bus

Curio on average produces 18,000 lbs of spice blends annually, and more every year. That is roughly the weight of one school bus!

Come visit us at

The Lab @ Curio Cambridge

Get Directions

Come visit us at

Boston Public Market

Get Directions