A survey on shopper trends by the FoodMarketing Institute
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100700626.html [2008-10-9]
Tag : Milk Candy
At a time when world financial markets are in flux, somerestaurants are bleeding customers and people fear for theirfinancial future, business is bustling at the Broad Branch, inNorthwest, and two other small gourmet grocery stores that recentlyopened in Montgomery County .
In fact, a survey on shopper trends released in May by the FoodMarketing Institute, which represents food retailers, indicatesthat 71 percent of Americans are cooking at home more and eatingout less often.
The survey also indicates that consumers find planning mealschallenging. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed did not knowwhat they would eat two hours before dinnertime on weekdays, and 35percent did not know what they would eat two hours before dinner onweekends.
All three local markets appear to be pouncing on this opportunityto offer high-quality prepared foods that are cheaper than manyrestaurant meals and to sell ingredients any chef would swoon over,such as exotic spices, dried miso, black rice, local vegetables andall-natural meats. Perhaps the high price of gas is drawing localswho don't want to drive to bigger stores. Or perhaps, as the ownerssay, people come for the retro-style service.
"Being small offers an opportunity to bring a personaltouch," says Steve Rudman. In April he and his wife, Terry,opened Willoughby's Market, a 1,600-square-foot store including an800-square-foot kitchen and prep area, in Sandy Spring.
Rudman, 49, is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef. His recent effortsincluded a walnut-encrusted salmon in a sweet soy-ginger glaze($19.99 per pound), a variety of chicken and vegetable salads (upto $9.99 per pound) and a homey chopped liver using hisgrandmother's secret recipe ($10.99 per pound). Rudman says hespends a lot of time with customers explaining cooking methods andmaking suggestions for side dishes, and he loves it.
Andre Cavallaro, 28, and his mother, Alison, opened Sub*UrbanTrading Co. in August in historic downtown Kensington in what usedto be a pet shop. He says their prepared foods draw customers:"Because we have a good relationship with our farmers, who areproducing a lot of the stuff right there [in the area,] you can seethe quality."
The Cavallaros buy almost all their produce and meats from smallpurveyors in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. They marinatesome, such as the often-requested whole chicken generouslysprinkled with herbes de Provence ($4.99 per pound), forready-to-cook meals.
The menu changes daily. On a recent weekday afternoon, baked zitiwith roasted vegetables ($9.25 per pound) disappeared nearly asfast as the large squares were cut in the hot pan. When it wasgone, it was gone.
"Even at Balducci's, the food still tends to be on the largescale, mass produced," Cavallaro says. "Here we have morepersonal relationships with customers, and we're trying to keepprices below theirs."
Sub*Urban also sells Trickling Springs Creamery milk, butter andice cream; herbs and salts; dried mushrooms such as morels ($20 perounce); and homemade tartlets ($2 each) made from seasonal produce.They are artfully arranged in glass cases decorated with decoupageflowers in just 1,200 square feet of retail space.
Andre, a former executive chef at Addie's in Rockville, makes thesavories, while Alison, a longtime home baker and cook who used tosend her children to school with Italian cheeses and cucumbers,makes the sweets. If you don't see the all-butter puff pastry orcontainer of creme fraiche you've been searching for, just ask.Chances are there's some in the back.
At the Broad Branch, across from Lafayette Elementary School inChevy Chase, D.C., manager Tracy Stannard says people in theneighborhood like shopping locally rather than driving to a bigsupermarket because they get to know the staff and can askquestions.
In addition to offering fountain sodas, dishwasher detergent andbulk grains, the market sells Gifford's ice cream and preparedfoods such as homemade raspberry plum custard pie ($17.99) andkasha varnishkes ($4.99 per pound), a comforting Eastern Europeandish of buckwheat groats and bowtie pasta.
John Fielding, another Broad Branch manager, says people are"just burnt out on the dining experience" but still wantto eat well, so prepared foods are the market's top seller, asidefrom the candy.
Fielding has worked at several restaurants in Maryland and theDistrict, including the Tabard Inn, and has gathered former chefcolleagues to create and run the market's deli and prepared foodssection, which takes up about one-third of the floor space.
A shopper would be hard-pressed to find the likes of the market'ssharply seasoned scrapple ($4.99 per pound) and meltingly soft yettart duck confit and cherry pâté ($16.99 per pound) at Safeway or Giant. Willoughby's carries fresh Alaskan halibut that is neverfrozen (he receives overnight shipments), Angus beef, a modestselection of local and international wines and cheeses, spicepreparations created by Bethesda-based In a Pinch Fine Spices andMoorenko's Ice Cream from Silver Spring.
Prepared comfort foods are also a top seller at Willoughby's.Rudman says chicken cacciatore and beef bourguignon will be addedin cooler weather.
"People want something warm and fuzzy that feels good,especially with the craziness of the [stock] markets," hesays.
· Broad Branch Market, 5608 Broad Branch Rd. NW, 202-249-8551, http:/ / www.broadbranchmarket.com .
· Sub*Urban Trading Co., 10301 Kensington Pkwy., Kensington,301-962-4046.
· Willoughby's Market, 805 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Sandy Spring,301-570-3663, http:/ / www.willoughbysmarket.com .
At a time when world financial markets are in flux, somerestaurants are bleeding customers and people fear for theirfinancial future, business is bustling at the Broad Branch, inNorthwest, and two other small gourmet grocery stores that recentlyopened in Montgomery County .
In fact, a survey on shopper trends released in May by the FoodMarketing Institute, which represents food retailers, indicatesthat 71 percent of Americans are cooking at home more and eatingout less often.
The survey also indicates that consumers find planning mealschallenging. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed did not knowwhat they would eat two hours before dinnertime on weekdays, and 35percent did not know what they would eat two hours before dinner onweekends.
All three local markets appear to be pouncing on this opportunityto offer high-quality prepared foods that are cheaper than manyrestaurant meals and to sell ingredients any chef would swoon over,such as exotic spices, dried miso, black rice, local vegetables andall-natural meats. Perhaps the high price of gas is drawing localswho don't want to drive to bigger stores. Or perhaps, as the ownerssay, people come for the retro-style service.
"Being small offers an opportunity to bring a personaltouch," says Steve Rudman. In April he and his wife, Terry,opened Willoughby's Market, a 1,600-square-foot store including an800-square-foot kitchen and prep area, in Sandy Spring.
Rudman, 49, is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef. His recent effortsincluded a walnut-encrusted salmon in a sweet soy-ginger glaze($19.99 per pound), a variety of chicken and vegetable salads (upto $9.99 per pound) and a homey chopped liver using hisgrandmother's secret recipe ($10.99 per pound). Rudman says hespends a lot of time with customers explaining cooking methods andmaking suggestions for side dishes, and he loves it.
Andre Cavallaro, 28, and his mother, Alison, opened Sub*UrbanTrading Co. in August in historic downtown Kensington in what usedto be a pet shop. He says their prepared foods draw customers:"Because we have a good relationship with our farmers, who areproducing a lot of the stuff right there [in the area,] you can seethe quality."
The Cavallaros buy almost all their produce and meats from smallpurveyors in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. They marinatesome, such as the often-requested whole chicken generouslysprinkled with herbes de Provence ($4.99 per pound), forready-to-cook meals.
The menu changes daily. On a recent weekday afternoon, baked zitiwith roasted vegetables ($9.25 per pound) disappeared nearly asfast as the large squares were cut in the hot pan. When it wasgone, it was gone.
"Even at Balducci's, the food still tends to be on the largescale, mass produced," Cavallaro says. "Here we have morepersonal relationships with customers, and we're trying to keepprices below theirs."
Sub*Urban also sells Trickling Springs Creamery milk, butter andice cream; herbs and salts; dried mushrooms such as morels ($20 perounce); and homemade tartlets ($2 each) made from seasonal produce.They are artfully arranged in glass cases decorated with decoupageflowers in just 1,200 square feet of retail space.
Andre, a former executive chef at Addie's in Rockville, makes thesavories, while Alison, a longtime home baker and cook who used tosend her children to school with Italian cheeses and cucumbers,makes the sweets. If you don't see the all-butter puff pastry orcontainer of creme fraiche you've been searching for, just ask.Chances are there's some in the back.
At the Broad Branch, across from Lafayette Elementary School inChevy Chase, D.C., manager Tracy Stannard says people in theneighborhood like shopping locally rather than driving to a bigsupermarket because they get to know the staff and can askquestions.
In addition to offering fountain sodas, dishwasher detergent andbulk grains, the market sells Gifford's ice cream and preparedfoods such as homemade raspberry plum custard pie ($17.99) andkasha varnishkes ($4.99 per pound), a comforting Eastern Europeandish of buckwheat groats and bowtie pasta.
John Fielding, another Broad Branch manager, says people are"just burnt out on the dining experience" but still wantto eat well, so prepared foods are the market's top seller, asidefrom the candy.
Fielding has worked at several restaurants in Maryland and theDistrict, including the Tabard Inn, and has gathered former chefcolleagues to create and run the market's deli and prepared foodssection, which takes up about one-third of the floor space.
A shopper would be hard-pressed to find the likes of the market'ssharply seasoned scrapple ($4.99 per pound) and meltingly soft yettart duck confit and cherry pâté ($16.99 per pound) at Safeway or Giant. Willoughby's carries fresh Alaskan halibut that is neverfrozen (he receives overnight shipments), Angus beef, a modestselection of local and international wines and cheeses, spicepreparations created by Bethesda-based In a Pinch Fine Spices andMoorenko's Ice Cream from Silver Spring.
Prepared comfort foods are also a top seller at Willoughby's.Rudman says chicken cacciatore and beef bourguignon will be addedin cooler weather.
"People want something warm and fuzzy that feels good,especially with the craziness of the [stock] markets," hesays.
· Broad Branch Market, 5608 Broad Branch Rd. NW, 202-249-8551, http:/ / www.broadbranchmarket.com .
· Sub*Urban Trading Co., 10301 Kensington Pkwy., Kensington,301-962-4046.
· Willoughby's Market, 805 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Sandy Spring,301-570-3663, http:/ / www.willoughbysmarket.com .
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