It’s been such a pleasure welcoming our local customers back into Wellspent Market these last couple of weeks. It gives us a chance to talk shop, and show off some of our favorite products that (for now anyways) we’re unable to ship.
Garrett Durant, our cheese and deli buyer, has been steadily expanding the cold case, adding a selection of local and far-flung cheeses, meats, and other snackable deli items.
Garrett has spent over a decade in Portland’s best delis, cutting his teeth at the legendary Edelweiss before helping to open the Woodsman Tavern & Market. He then moved to another local institution, Cheese Bar, where he spent 5 years working alongside legendary local monger Steve Jones, digging deep into the histories, process and, ahem, cultures of artisanal cheese producers from all over the world.
With a focus on demystifying cheese arcana, Garrett’s approach to buying is rooted in a love of small producers, traditional methodologies, and the unique way cheese allows one to travel through space and time via one perfectly creamy bite.
He especially loves the versatility that comes with cheese: there are snacking cheeses, cooking cheeses, fancy cheeses, and humble everyday cheeses, none better or worse than the other, and each perfect for its intended occasion.
So, next time you’re feeling cheesy, come on down to the shop and let Garrett help you find something delicious.
Our obsession with Italy and la bella vita (the good life) started more than 20 years ago. Along with taking simple food seriously, spending time with friends and family, and just slowing down, la bella vita means appreciating the beauty of everyday life.
Join us to celebrate that everyday beauty at our first Festa Italiana, Saturday, June 12. We’ll have sweet and savory treats from Sorbu Paninoteca and Pinolo Gelato, local organic produce from Wild Roots Farm, including some Italian specialities. Culinary Breeding Network will have imported radicchio seeds and hand-carved marzipan molds to make your house and garden tutto Italiano, along with vegetable starts, Kate Blairstone‘s vegetable-themed wrapping paper, prints from Italian artist Tatti Stampa, and more.
