Periwinkles Food Shoppe
Antonia Steriti’s passion for fresh food was born in her grandfather’s garden helping him sow 200 tomato plants, in her childhood kitchen, creating home made gnocchi with her mother, aunts and sister and around the table with her large Italian family enjoying their weekly pasta dinners. “When I was in high school the only class I liked was cooking,” says Antonia. She learned the basics in home economics class and honed her skills at home alongside her mother.
After high school Antonia attended Essex Agricultural School and subsequently worked at Cricket’s and Lilly’s in Boston while taking business classes at Salem State University. She then worked for caterer Ruth Slater, who led a successful women-run catering business with her three daughters. Inspired by Ruth’s great energy and creativity, Antonia found a business partner and opened Periwinkles in Lynn in 1987.
