About Us
We are a woman owned, family business with generational ties to Chapel Hill, NC and a genetic, deep love of spicy pepper relish and all things spicy.
About Cottage Lane Kitchen:
Meet the CLK TEAM:
Samantha Swan Founder, CEO |
Even though Samantha has lived in many different places and traveled the world, her deep family connections have continued to call her back to NC.
After working in the Fine Art field for over ten years and with the encouragement of her husband, Roby, she decided to pursue a career in food, her first love. Being a home cook, she wanted to learn to make the family's spicy pepper relish. Her grandfather’s last batch was from the 1990’s and there were very few bottles left. With no written recipe, she decided to record her father's ‘dash of this and that looks about right' in measurement of cups and teaspoons. Throughout her travels and relocations, there was only one place remained a constant in Samantha's life - her family's homestead on Cottage Lane in Chapel Hill, NC. Family history surrounds her on Cottage Lane - a street she has known all her life. Therefore, her company couldn't possibly be named anything other than 'Cottage Lane Kitchen'... |
Arya Ranjan Marketing & Special Projects Coordinator |
Arya has been a member of the Cottage Lane Kitchen team since February 2021. Starting as an intern, she has contributed to various aspects of CLK's operations, including social media management, outreach initiatives, research endeavors, and general administrative tasks. Alongside her work at CLK, she is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Data Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She expresses that through her position at CLK and through Samantha’s guidance/mentorship, she has developed a deep understanding and appreciation for the food industry in North Carolina. In addition to industry knowledge, she is also grateful for exposure to the powerful ecosystem of entrepreneurs in the state, as well as crucial business skills. She is very proud to support CLK as a woman-owned business that has such strong ties to family (and incredibly delicious products). To discuss all things CLK and beyond, contact her at arya@cottagelanekitchen.com. |
Roby Swan CFO and Co-Founder |
Roby began his varied and illustrious career in the food industry.
After obtaining his MBA in International Business Administration, he worked in operations with Pizza Hut in the USA, before transferring to Mexico, Central and South America, and later on becoming the Area Vice President to Europe, Middle East and North Africa.
After ten years with Pizza Hut, he embarked on his own entrepreneurial journey as investor, founder and manger in several varied companies within the restaurant business, property development, high security software, and music and video retail.
He founded CLK with Samantha in 2011 and was instrumental in the funding, marketing and operations during the first five years. He stepped away from daily operations in 2015 to pursue Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures but continues to remain in the role of CFO and assist with logistics for Cottage Lane Kitchen. |