OUR MISSION:
1. We want our customers to walk in curious, and walk out happy.
You can buy cheese and specialty food in lots of different places. But when you buy those things off the shelf in a large store, you won’t know much about what you’re getting. When you spend time in our shop, you’ll have the chance to taste before you buy, to hear the stories behind the food, and to try something new. We get really excited about cheese! That means we want to tell our customers who love Gruyère all about the new Alpine-style cheeses we find. We want to hear about the delicious cheeses you tasted in France and to see if we can come up with something from Vermont that reminds you of your trip. And if you haven’t tasted anything other than plastic-wrapped cheese, we’ll introduce you to something that will make you smile.
2. We support other small businesses whose practices reflect our values.
We know the people who make the wine, cheese, and other foods we sell. We know that they prioritize animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, and environmental stewardship. We know that many of them are continuing a tradition of family farming despite enormous challenges, because they can’t imagine doing anything else. When you buy their products, you become part of that community of good agricultural practice and good food.
3. We care about our community.
We’re fortunate to do business in Lowell, Massachusetts, a city with real ethnic and economic diversity. That means we can both learn from and help take care of our neighbors. The food we sell is, in many ways, a luxury, and we’re mindful of the fact that some people close by don’t have access to basic, nutritious food. We’re committed to donating a percentage of our revenue and our time to organizations that make Lowell a better place to live, especially organizations that promote better access to food and empowerment for girls, women, and the LGBTQ community. In 2020, we’ll be partnering with these community organizations to share our space with them and to help spread the word about their missions:
the Urban Agriculture Program at UMass Lowell’s Office of Sustainability
We’re excited about what’s happening at GRLSQUASH, a womxn’s food, culture, and art journal (please check it out!) and hope to collaborate on events in 2020.
As always, look for “Women Behind the Wheel” and “Women in Wine” signs on products in the shop, and please ask our mongers to share producer stories with you! And if you have a cheese story of your own, or if your cultural/family heritage involves good food memories, please share with us as part of our Cheese and Culture Project.