Sharon and Steven Washington are the mother-and-son duo of Crustees, which specializes in sweet and savory pies.
The Windsor Hills eatery has been in business for 10 years and it all started with Sharon’s famous peach cobbler.
“Every party that we went to, every family event we went to, we had to take the peach cobbler,” she explained. “It would be the talk of the party.”
From there, people urged her to start selling the delicious treat.
The business venture started out at farmer’s markets, then a storefront was opened five years ago. The matriarch touted the farmer’s market scene as a great way to test out a new product.
After the peach cobbler’s success, Sharon then got to work on other items like apple pie, sweet potato, mixed berry, and lemon meringue. From there, the business dabbled into the savory arena with Chicken and Shepherd pot pies.
The family’s roots in L.A. run deep, which is why it was important for them to open up their store in the City of Angels.
“One of the biggest things that we stand on is our quality food, quality service with an emphasis on community. So it was very important for us to open up our first brick-and-mortar in the community where I was raised where we live, and it’s full circle. It’s all about circulating the dollars in your community to just give back,” Steven explained. “That’s all we’re here to do. We’re here to serve to give back and just give a little bit of sweetness to everybody.”
The holiday season is definitely when business ramps up and it sure does.
Crustees also has a huge following with celebrities like Julia Roberts, Kenny G and the Kardashians.
Jessica tried her hand in the Crustees kitchen, by getting a lesson on how to make the famous Thanksgiving pot pie from Sharon.
The savory dish included all of the staples included in a Turkey Day meal, wrapped in a flaky crust.
Steven also noted it’s a great way to repurpose those Thanksgiving leftovers.
For more information on Crustees, visit their website and Instagram page.
This segment aired on California Cooking with Jessica Holmes, Episode 158.
