The Gourmet New England Story

  Milton Howard and Neal Smith both live in small villages in Western Massachusetts,  where each of them has long had a passion for the superb, locally produced foods for which New England is justly famous.  Recently, they decided to join forces to pursue the quest of locating the very best makers of these gourmet products,  and to offer them for sale in an internet marketplace,  so that everyone in the country will have a chance to savor New England's finest artisan treasures.

  They  began their search in Greenfield,  Massachusetts at the Community Processing Center. There they  found two wonderful young companies that they were delighted to have as the first into the  new web store. Hedgie’s Hot Stuff,  named after the family pet hedgehog,  makes salsa from all fresh locally grown ingredients.  They guarantee that their products will put a smile on your face and Milton and Neal can both can attest to that.  In the same facility they met Steve Norwood,  the owner and founder of Chubby’s Barbecue Sauces.  Steve makes specialty barbeque sauces,  teriyaki marinade and steak sauce all made from family recipes passed down through four generations.  Steve started making his sauces about five years ago for family and friends.  It wasn’t long before they were telling him, “You have to sell this!,  and now he does.

 Of course,  when thinking about New England foods,  Vermont cheddar cheese immediately comes to mind,  so the next excursion took our travellers to the Grafton Village Cheese Company in Southern Vermont.  There they found wonderful people and delightful cheese!  According to Milton, "Once you have tasted their Four Star Four Year Aged Cheddar you will look no further."  If you ever have the chance to visit southern Vermont,  they have a unique retail store in the town of Brattleboro.  Before leaving they  were given a sample of a homemade oatcake made by Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes in Hyde Park,  Massachusetts.  Effie’s oatcakes were so incredibly good they both knew that these delicious homemade delicacies  had to be in the new marketplace.

 Heading North from Brattleboro through some of the most beautiful countryside of Vermont,  they went in search for what may be New England’s most prized treasure,  pure Vermont Maple syrup. It was a little north of the small town of Dummerston that they found the place they had been looking for,  Evans Maple Syrup Farm.  Sitting at the kitchen table in the historic farmhouse with Faith and Roger Evans,  eating a piece of homemade crumb cake soaked with their pure syrup and looking out through the bay window at the sun-drenched snow-covered meadow,  they realized that they had discovered two wonderful things – an absolutely delicious maple syrup and a little piece of heaven.  As Neal remarked. "It was hard to leave this place".

  Now it was time to head east to the New England coastline for another quintessential New England gourmet food – fresh lobster,  seafood and clams.  This quest took the pair to the famous fish pier in South Boston and Yankee Specialty Foods where seafood vendors swirl all around and one could hear the creaking of the fishing boats.  They said that they could have stayed there all day especially after being treated to Bay Shore’s lobster bisque and New England clam chowder.  They were both excited to be able to offer these exceptional products to their customers.

 But there was more seafood to be found,  and after driving south along the Massachusetts shore line,  crossing over the Bourne Bridge,  they came to the famous Cape Cod town of Falmouth and the Falmouth Fish Market.  After a very warm and friendly conversation with David Shahzade,  the owner,  they left having arranged to have fresh Maine lobster,  lobster dinners,  steamer clams and little neck clams shipped to all of their soon to be customers around the country.  David sent them on their way with the most delicious and succulent lobster rolls one could imagine.

 Native,  unprocessed raw wildflower and buckwheat honey is not easy to find,  but find it they did in the Massachusetts town of Palmer and the Honey Store of Diana and Mark Lameroux.  What a pleasure to spend time with true artisans of gourmet food with a passion for what they produce!

 Milton and Neal had decided to open their new internet marketplace with nine of the best New England food producers they could find.  They began their  search in the small town of Greenfield, Ma.  and it is there at Pierce Bros Coffee Roasters that they found the last,  and certainly not the least,  of the new vendors.  If you have never experienced the difference in taste that come from air roasting coffee beans,  you owe it to yourself to try it.  The bitter or burnt taste that often comes with traditional roasting is totally gone.  It is quite remarkable!  It appears that  Pierce Bros Roasters are the only coffee roasters in the country that are not only air roasters,  but organic,  Free Trade and 100% kosher.

  So,  that is the story of the beginning of the Gourmet New England Marketplace.  Milton and Neal had a wonderful experience meeting and getting to know many  warm and passionate food producers who make some of the finest gourmet foods you will ever find.  They encourage you to give them a try and discover for yourself what great food is produced here in New England!