Every ingredient in the Christina Maser line has been added intentionally, but the life of the woman behind them remains much more serendipitous. Chance meetings, surprising jobs, varying locations called home and a lot of hard work have landed Gretchen (her true first name) in Lancaster, where everyone may now benefit from the fruits of her labor.
Maser’s background began in Montgomery County before a move to Watkins Glen, where the family previously took vacations. After some time at Corning Community College, she found herself in Binghamton, where by the age of 23 she was employed as a surgical technician. Another move brought her to Lancaster, where her uncle helped secure her a job as a guard at Lancaster County Prison, where she “met a lot of people who just lost their way and made mistakes.” From there she worked at Barnes Hall before opening a salon downtown called Professional Touch.
While working at the salon, Maser realized her son had serious aversions to food and “wouldn't eat anything.” While she worked, a friend offered to watch her son. One day when picking him up, she noticed he was eating jam and bread, both homemade by the friend. Soon, Maser began making jams herself.
On a trip to St. Michaels, Gretchen encountered a soap shop that couldn’t keep their hand-crafted soap in stock. This piqued another interest: soap making. She began buying books on the craft and after a year began making her own soaps. Eventually, she sold $2,000 worth of soap in one day from her home, making it in her basement.
Ultimately, all of her experiences culminated to create the Christina Maser brand. The unassuming lower floor on East Madison Street, formerly a medical call center, boasts gorgeous restored arched doors, original moldings and fresh paint and now houses a gorgeous office and an Airbnb apartment. In the back building, a modest kitchen and storeroom creates and houses every Christina Maser product, from candles to salad dressing. Maser also owns Tandi’s Naturals, known for its popular laundry soap amongst other products in its handmade line.
In 2007, the website Daily Candy wrote an edgy piece about Gretchen’s jams, leading Bon Appétit and Philadelphia magazine to spotlight the jams too. Success was afoot. Currently employing six people; selling in over 20 Whole Foods Markets; and creating over 30 candle scents, 20 jams and a host of other products keep the company busy.
With such a broad line, it’s possible a day could start and end with a Christina Maser product. Start with bar soaps in scents like citrus eucalyptus, lavender and lemon basil (or opt for a bath milk or salt) then moisturize with lotion. Next, sit down to breakfast with some delicious jam in unique flavors like strawberry with ginger, blueberry-lime or peach-basil. There’s even a blueberry buttermilk pancake mix for a quick, tasty breakfast. All pantry items are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients harvested from area farmers, with some herbs even collected from three raised garden beds right behind the building. “If we can grow it, we do,” says Maser. Further, there are “no preservatives, fillers or additives” in any of the products.
For lunch, dress a salad with a vinaigrette like blueberry balsamic or strawberry-tarragon. From the pantry line, mustards, spice rubs, salsas, hot sauces, spaghetti sauces and the new salt line combine to create options for both new and seasoned cooks. The red raspberry shrub, an apple cider based beverage (or mixer) even won a national Good Food Award.
For a super easy supper, try a soup mix. Currently, three stock the shelves: a chicken barley that needs only carrots, water and optional chicken; a shiitake mushroom soup that took two years to develop but takes only an hour to cook; and white bean chili.
Christina Maser’s unique candle line is made with soy wax, essential oils and no added colors or dyes. Maser suggests reusing the locally derived glass jar as a tumbler after the wax has burned off. Candles are available in 10- and 16-ounce jars, as well as six-ounce travel tins. Scents range from bayberry to dark chocolate and black ginger to the unique but realistic tomato leaf. The two most popular are lavender citrus and sweet Italy (a biscotti and espresso blend).
The website (christinamaser.com) offers a store locator to find local retailers (such as Lancaster Specialty Market in Lititz or Festoon in Lancaster and Lititz) or the option to purchase from the website. Additionally, Lemon Street Market in Lancaster “carries every product we make, even seasonal ones,” says Maser. So curry favor with friends and family (and yourself!) because not only are the products “earth, air, and people friendly,” they are also “food for the soul.”
By Crystal M. Schreffler | Photography by Nico Kambouroglos