Let's chew the fat, as it were, on a subject that didn't even exist a few years ago: gourmet foods in the garden center. Many conversations on gourmet foods — at least as they pertain to the garden center — start with herb talk. If you're talking herbs with customers, you'll find plenty of information to share with your customers at Mountain Valley Growers' cooking with herbs page. (Look for the recipe links toward the bottom.) Certainly, other edibles have become players in the innovative garden center game. Sickles Market is so innovative, it won the 2004 Garden Center Magazine Innovator Award. You'll see why when you check out Sickles' Gourmet Club links here. The store's Web site is updated regularly to show new food items, products and events. Another great source/resource for this niche is called, appropriately enough, Cheese and Wine Unlimited. If a wine and cheese basket can be created, this company probably has already done it.
While the gourmet food thing is relatively new to our industry, you might be one of the pioneers who made it work at your store. If so, please share your notions on the subject by clicking here to go to the blog. Of course, you also can check out the rest of our menu, as it were, below. In fact, we would recommend that you do.
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