Robin Brown-Wood moved to Eugene, Oregon with her husband 23 years ago. “The first thing I do when I move to a new town is find a hairdresser. Then I find the fish market and the butcher shop. That’s what my mother always taught me: buy your meat from the butcher and your fish from the fishmonger.” Robin immediately found Long’s Meat Market and Newman’s Fish Market where she still goes to get whatever fish or meat she might need for her personal pantry or catering endeavors.
“I grew up in a diverse place. We were exposed to cultures and flavors from all over the world,” Robin says. She credits her upbringing for her style of cooking. Her food is packed with flavor and is deeply rooted in southern cooking techniques. “I love everything with beans and greens and I only buy the best food from all of our amazing local farmers.” Collard Green Wontons with Sriracha Aioli and Sweet Potato Cobbler with Bourbon Sauce are some of her signature dishes. Incorporating flavors from all around the world into traditional southern dishes is one of her greatest passions.
When Robin isn’t busy with Alma Catering, she is volunteering at Food For Lane County. “My mother raised us to appreciate all people, that everyone is equal and deserving of opportunity and that we need to give back. I have always volunteered in some way.” Robin has volunteered at a number of local non-profits but her longest commitment has been volunteering at Food For Lane County which she has been doing for over twenty years.
She began her volunteer work at FFLC as a cook in their kitchen, preparing meals for their various pantries. One of her favorite positions at the food bank was volunteering for the Healthy Futures Program where she taught women from low income families to cook nutritious meals on a budget. Volunteering at the Dining Room has also been a rewarding experience for Robin, one that she would recommend to anyone. She was on the Board of Directors for 6 years and served as Chairperson of the Development Committee, helping to plan huge fundraisers like Chef’s Night Out and The Empty Bowls Auction.
When Robin was a child, her mother gave her some advice: “If you’re gonna work hard, you might as well do it for yourself.” After thirty years in the food industry working for other people, she took that advice and started Alma Food and Catering.
When the time came to launch Alma Catering, she relied on a targeted marketing plan and word of mouth to build her business. Her reputation for making exceptional, flavorful, locally sourced food amongst her friends and colleagues was enough to catapult her into a successful career as a caterer. “Word gets around when the food and customer service are flavorful and exceptional,” Robin says.
In March of 2020, Robin had to postpone every event she had planned in response to the COVID19 pandemic. Since then, she has channeled her energy into her garden and into songwriting. Robin attended a songwriting class at Lane Community College and impressed her teacher with her eloquent and powerful lyrics and creative voice. When she is not writing songs, she is creating spaces of serenity, beauty and solitude in her garden. Her passion for feeding people is alive and well and as soon as it is safe to do so, Robin will continue to cater events with the finest ingredients and her signature vibrant and bold flavors.
As national and local protests and demands for racial justice escalate, many of Robin’s white friends have been calling her to check in and see how she is handling everything, many of them are looking to her for guidance on what to do to help. “This state has one hell of a racist history, there’s no doubt about it and you cannot deny it. This community needs to take off their blinders, acknowledge the systemic racism that exists in ‘our little town’, and open some HONEST, NON PARTISAN, HUMANE dialogue with ALL community members. Only then can we create a positive, impactful plan to change the issues and create a community we ALL want to live in,” Robin says with great clarity, strength and eloquence.
