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.
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PROFILE passing up fennel, sorrel and other lesser- known produce. To encourage sales of products with shorter shelf life, Valery has embraced social media. Posting regularly to Facebook and Twitter, she shares the day's café specials, the latest arrivals in grocery goods, and recipes. The market's most recent update, to increase seating, was the installation of a drink rail, made from reclaimed walnut, against one of the storefront's giant win- dows. Other café upgrades are in the works. "Furniture was a little bit of an afterthought," Valery laughs. The current collection is a mix of Ikea products and salvaged tables from an old Midtown Baltimore restaurant, The Chesapeake. "As we put some money away, we'll invest in more furniture and layout." Outside, tables and chairs offer a welcoming ambience and suggest the spot is a destina- tion, not just a run-of-the-mill corner store. To keep up the allure, the market exhibits artwork on the walls from local art- ists and photographers and hosts an array of events that embody the spirit of the market itself. Music nights feature local performers, while a recent wine-and-chocolate pairing was presented by local businesses Spirits of Mt. Vernon and Izzy Chocolates. Valery continues to do daily research to keep the young business fresh and run- ning smoothly. "I work the register a decent amount, so I talk to a lot of the customers," she says. Encouraged by a strong showing on Saturday nights, Valery extended the store's closing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Future Plans Among her long-term goals, Valery hopes to build her product and marketing knowl- edge, continue the café events and set up year- round holiday services and promotions. (Over the winter holiday season, the store offered preorders of Thanksgiving turkeys from Pennsylvania's Sunnyside Farm and Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op, and holiday-themed treats from Amy's Cookies in Brooklyn, N.Y.) The market may soon expand into the nearby Baltimore Penn Station with an outpost, offering coffee and sandwiches to go, while beefing up prepared-food options in-store with such items as organic rotisserie chicken. "We've been nicely received by the community," Valery says of the customers that embrace the local and gourmet selec- tion. "A lot of the customers do support that we're doing that and love that we buy from local farms. It's a big movement." |SFM| Eva Meszaros is associate editor of Specialty Food Magazine. 1PQDPSO 5SFOET t &YQBOEJOH; 4UBGG T +PC %FTDSJQUJPOT t 3FDJQFT XJUI 1IZMMP %PVHI ."3$) SPECIALTY FOOD PRODUCTS t 53&/%4 t #64*/&44 */4*()54 PROFILE: Baltimore's Milk & Honey Market HEALTHY SNACK CHIPS: Beans, Grains, Seeds, Rice and Other Varieties + Vegetarian and Vegan Snacks MAGAZINE® www.specialtyfood.com Second Careers in Specialty Food Shawn Askinosie left a law career to start Askinosie Chocolate SUPPLIER STORIES INTRODUCING Digital Editions! Get the full Specialty Food Magazine reading experience on your desktop, laptop or tablet… t 'MJQ UISPVHI BSUJDMFT t 4FBSDI GPS DPOUFOU t 1BTT BMPOH WJB FNBJM t "OE NPSF To read this issue online, go to specialtyfoodmagazine.com 30 ❘ 41&$*"-5: '00% ."(";*/& ❘ TQFDJBMUZGPPE DPN Get more from What's New, What's Hot! with a NEW Online Gallery at specialtyfood.com/wnwh t #SPXTF QSPEVDUT t 3FBE NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO t (FU JOGPSNBUJPO EJSFDUMZ GSPN UIF NBOVGBDUVSFS specialtyfood.com/wnwh Check it out today at