Meet the Team: Tara
Introducing another member of our dedicated team - Tara! As our Packaging Coordinator, Tara is the Eagle Eye on all the bars packaged here at Videri. Over her tenure (Congratulations on 10 Years!!), she has seen us grow and change in so many ways. Let’s get to know Tara a bit better!
Meet: Tara Avison
Hometown: CT, PA, NJ, VA, NC
Worked at Videri Since: April 2014
Position: Packaging Coordinator, Wizard, Oompa Loompa, & Quality Control Specialist
Hey, Tara! Why work at a chocolate factory, and specifically Videri?
Access to the good stuff! I grew up around chocolate. Good chocolate. My godmother lived in Belgium and she would always visit laden with cheese, chocolate, and stroopwafels. Recently I had an opportunity to try the chocolate again. I was shocked when I realized that Videri’s chocolate tastes better than an institution that’s been around for over 100 years!
What’s something you wish everyone knew about working at a chocolate factory?
You CAN work at a chocolate factory and still remain healthy. Over two decades ago I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I’m able to make room for chocolate in my life, and in order to do that, I don’t waste carbohydrates on anything mediocre. If I can do it, so can you.
How has Videri changed in the decade you’ve worked here?
In the beginning we used to hand wrap every chocolate bar in foil. It required very fine motor skills. I was here an entire year before I looked at a completed bar and thought, “Yeah. That’ll do nicely.” Actually, one of the reasons I was hired was because I used to be an assistant who assembled laser cut paper sculptures using glue, toothpicks, and tweezers.
I think our packaging has gone through at least 8 or 9 different variations since I started. At one point we had a flow wrapping machine, and I got to pretend I was in the episode of “I Love Lucy” where she and Ethel work in a chocolate factory. And yes, there were times when the chocolate got away from me!
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Instant teleportation. But genies are wily creatures, so there would need to be some caveats.
What is your ideal extracurricular activity or hobby?
Jigsaw puzzles. The production team likes to trade. It’s a win-win.
What is a local cause that you care about?
Book Harvest! They accept donations of new or gently used children’s books and pass them on to the next generation of readers, promoting literacy and learning for everyone.
What’s your current favorite restaurant around town, and what do you love to order?
Seaboard Cafe at Logan’s Garden Shop. Their sandwich of grilled tuna salad with Swiss cheese and cranberries sounds weird, but it’s delicious. I live in Durham. I always drag out of town guests to either KoKyu or Ideal’s Sandwich and Grocery
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
First and foremost I am a homebody, but my husband and I really like traveling. Most recently we’ve gone to Iceland and St. Thomas. Next up is Barcelona with some friends!
What’s your current favorite bar?
I’ve always liked our 55% Dark Milk bar.
What’s your favorite seasonal bonbon, and why?
Any chewy caramel variation the confection team dreams up. They didn’t exist when I first started, and everyone was exceedingly delighted when we first started making them.
And, lastly, what’s your go-to soft serve combination?
There is some debate as to who came up with it first, but I’ll always go for a vanilla soft serve with candied cocoa nibs and mocha fudge sauce.
Thank you so much for chatting with us, Tara . We’re so grateful to have you on our team! Cheers to even more years of chocolate bar magic with you. ✨
