Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/328566
with vintage signs, farm tables displaying baskets of produce, and rustic shelving. A few tables placed near the front give customers an area to enjoy a cup of coffee or deli purchase, adding to the com- munity atmosphere of the store. "It sounds like bragging, but people have told me I revived an all-but-dead Main Street. Now other stores and a hotel and restaurant are opening," Leuschel says. "We provide a sense of community that people missed." Scarborough Fare, New Paltz Drawing off the taproom setting that has become popular for olive oils, Cory Wirthmann opened Scarborough Fare in Southern Ulster County's New Paltz, N.Y., in 2013 with his mother and business partner, Donna Wirthmann. About 35 casks of bulk extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars create a fill station and tasting bar in the store's center, and customers buy reusable bottles to fill with selections. Purists can enjoy cultivars like nocellara or picual, while infused olive oil flavors range from the familiar, like lemon or basil, to the creative—think chipotle and bacon, the latter being the product trending most right now, Wirthmann says. Balsamic vinegars come in 14 flavors, including fig, cherry, saba, vanilla, grapefruit, espresso, and pumpkin pie spice. Though his degree in biochemistry makes Wirthmann confi- dent he can create high-quality infused products, the selection isn't DIY. Instead he uses importers on both coasts to source product. "I learned a long time ago when it comes to food, let the professionals do it," he says. However, Wirthmann does credit his studies for awakening an interest in food. In college, following a stint in the Coast Guard, "I started to eat better and get into making my own food," he explains. "They say chemists make good chefs. Before that I was just like many young men who loved to eat but didn't think about it much more than that." The olive oil and vinegars are the main attraction, but Scarborough Fare's inventory includes a small specialty selection, including pastas, sauces, spices, and condiments, from companies like Manicaretti, Rick 's Picks, and Rabbit Creek, plus a small cheese selection that includes local variety Caciocavallo cheese from Casa Del Caciocavallo in neighboring Gardiner, N.Y. "I don't carry a lot of local products because the theme of the store is more Mediterranean lifestyle, but I do bring in some brands," Wirthmann says. The spe- cialty groceries started out as good accompaniments to olive oils and balsamic vinegars, but have since "exploded on their own," he adds. With a State University of New York campus in town, New Paltz is home to many young residents. But, according to Wirthmann, his customers are seasoned foodies in the 40- to 60-year-old range. "They are people who understand quality; non- foodies think we're too much money." In addition to an online venue, Wirthmann recently opened a second store in Beacon, N.Y., in the lower Hudson Valley. Future expansion is a possibility but it's still early days. He is doing market research in a few areas, acknowledging it could take a year or more to find the right fit. Wherever he sets up shop though, Wirthmann knows the value of becoming part of the neighborhood. "When we opened in Beacon, we hired local people rather than transplanting people from New Paltz," he says. "The town appreciates that you are investing in their community, which gets you good word of mouth." MORE TO SEE Scattered throughout the Hudson Valley are dozens of independent specialty shops, catering to every community. Here are a few more notables. Bread Alone (Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Boiceville): Bread Alone Bakery has been baking organic, whole- grain breads from wood-fired brick ovens since owner Dan Leader left New York City life for the Catskill Mountains in 1983. Today, the bakery, cafe, and restaurant has three locations in the region, and offers breads, pastries, baked goods, cereal, and preserves. The breads are made from grains grown locally in New York as well as in Canada and the Midwest, and the company uses local dairy products and produce in its recipes. breadalone.com Homespun Foods (Beacon): This specialty food shop and cafe offers a menu of light fare like sandwiches, salads, and soups, plus homemade desserts, wines, and local microbrews. A small selection of specialty products—many used in Homespun's recipes— includes Creminelli salami, Brooklyn Brine pickles, The Fine Cheese Company crackers, and a host of imported cheeses. In addition to its Main Street store, Homespun Foods also has a cafe adjacent to the museum Dia: Beacon, a part of Dia Art Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports, presents, and preserves art projects. homespunfoods.com Last Chance Cheese & Antiques (Tannersville): Open since 1971, this hybrid restaurant, tavern, gourmet store, and antique shop offers local and imported cheeses, condiments, honeys, syrups, retro candies, crackers, and other specialty items. The retail store is located in the casual, country-style restaurant where patrons can enjoy everything from a cheese fondue to meatloaf dinner, and choose from among 300 imported beers. lastchanceonline.com Denise Purcell is editor of Specialty Food Magazine. SUMMER 2014 155 storeTour_hudsonValley.indd 155 6/5/14 8:13 AM