Grocery

Customer Question: Aqua Vitea chaga CBD kombucha, please.
Co-op Answer: Thank you for your input! Unfortunately, at this time our policy is to only bring in CBD products made in Vermont with hemp grown in Vermont. Aqua Vitea is sourcing their CBD hemp from outside of Vermont. We have let them know about our policy and hope they will switch to Vermont CBD in the near future.  -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please consider carrying this delicious tea! (Reishi Detox by Choice).
A: Thank you for your input! I will certainly consider this item when we next review our tea set. On the meantime, we will soon be brining in a new tea collection from Host Defense which are all mushroom based. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please carry “Q” kola.
A: Thank you for your input! I will add this set in the next couple of weeks! -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you put ginger kombucha on tap again?
A: Thank you for your input! I will work with our Aqua Vitea distributor to make sure we have the seasonal trop sellers on tap and add ginger in if we can drop a slower option. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please! GF cake mix that is nut free! There is nothing!
A: Thank you for your input! We will add the Cherrybrook Kitchen brand cake mixes to our set. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Larson Farm and Creamery butter? You have their ghee and milk already! Maybe the only grass-fed local creamery?
A: Thank you for your input! I hadn’t heard they were making a butter! I will discuss this with our dairy buyer and try to find room. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you look to see if you can get more kinds of granola bars?
A: Thank you for your input! This set is very full but in the last few months we did bring in the Field Day bars, organic and at a fair price point, as well as new Nut Butter granola bars from Nature’s Path. I will certainly review the category to see if we are missing any of the top selling brands. Please let me know if there are any brands you would like to see on our shelves. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Is it possible to carry pumpkin seed oil in the edible oils department (culinary)?
A: Thank you for your input! We had been carrying La Tourangelle pumpkin seed oil but the sales were very slow and we had to drop it. You may special order this item and receive a discount for purchasing by the case. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please get GF cake mix that is also nut-free!
A: Thank you for your input! We will bring in the Cherrybrook Kitchen cake mix. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Hi, is it possible to carry plain ol’ chickpea flour, rather than the chickpea-fava bean blend?
A: Thank you for your input! We can definitely bring in Bob’s Red Mill classic garbanzo flour to replace the Garbanzo/Fava flour. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Why must eggs come in plastic cartons?
A: Thank you for your input! Pet and Gerry’s organic eggs come in a recycled plastic containers because these recycled containers have been found to have a lower impact on the planet and a smaller carbon emission footprint than the molded pulp paper egg cartons. P & G has a great website with information gathered by the independent study they had done when they first made this decision – https://www.peteandgerrys.com/blog/paper-or-plastic. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please carry the lemon Larabar! I don’t understand why it isn’t here!
A: Thank you for your input! The bar set is very full but the lemon Larabar is a great seller, so we will drop one of our slower sellers and bring it in in the next two weeks. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please require meat product suppliers to label a “packed on” date; it’s not redundant, though the co-op puts a “sell by” date.
A: I will ask our vendors and see what we can do. Thanks. -Nick, Meat Buyer

Food Services

Q: It would be great if you carried a hard Parmesan that cost less than $17 a pound! Since Parm is widely available and bought regularly, spending this much on it seems ridiculous. Thanks.
A: The Zerto brand (from Argentina not Italy) has not been available for a long time. Beware of “fake” Parm, look for Parmigiana-Reggiano from Italy. -Bibi, Cheese Buyer

Q: Please keep using the clear ribbed cheese paper, especially for washed rind and soft cheeses! Otherwise, they will suffocate (live bacteria on the rind) and create a stinky ammonia mess no one will want to buy! Quality cheese deserves quality wraps. Thanks!
A: We’re currently looking for a more affordable source and will also reach out to cheese makers for supplies. Thanks for your suggestion. -Bibi, Cheese Buyer

Q: 1) Generally speaking the cafeteria tables are insanely grubby – they need to be washed down regularly as part of a job description, not just “wiped down” occasionally. 2) You are also virtually eternally without teaspoons – at the hot bar, at the cafeteria, at the coffee stand. What about it? How about some teaspoons?
A: 1) I am sorry to know we are not meeting those needs. We will ensure this is being done more regularly. 2) More spoons. Got it. We do replace them with alarming frequency. Not sure where they all keep going. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please bring back the noodle soup “bar”.
A: They were delicious but very disruptive for the crew. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please consider bringing back “Wildwood” soy creamer for the deli. I have to buy one each time I come to use! TY!
A: I have asked the deli staff about this and they are uncertain about ever offering this? We do offer 3 dairy alternatives including a soy one. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: City Market sells soup for considerably less. Is there a way to match their prices?
A: City Market may produce their soups in house so it costs them less offer them. Also, CM uses primarily conventional ingredients in their offerings whereas ours are all organic and/or local which also increases the cost. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please be sure all signs are out at deli – e.g. breakfast bowl. Why is 8 oz of soup $1 less at City Market? $2.99 v $1.99.
A: Agreed. We can and should do better at this and will. I can’t speak to City Market’s pricing market other than they may make their own soup vs. sourcing them from a local vendor and our ingredients are all local and organic vs. conventional for CM. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: The coop chicken and greens soup is great – much better than “Joe’s”.
A: Thanks for the compliment. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Thanks Kate for always making the best food! I literally fly up from FL just to see you here!
A: Thanks for sharing this. It gave Kate a big smile to hear this. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Could you go back to using the wider to-go containers that goes with the coop sushi containers? The new ones are too narrow to use with the rolled sushi.
A: Done! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: More sushi please?
A: Varieties or volume? -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: I wish there were more burrito – or that they were not offered! I always wait 20 minutes for them. Production seems inefficient.
A: We will increase the amount as they are typically the first to sell. Thanks for the feedback. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Deli – Middle Eastern soup was really good the other day!
A: Thanks for sharing! I let Stephanie know! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: I missed why prepared chicken wings are no longer sold. Was there an issue? We loved them.
A: It was simply a lack of sales as we had to often cull unsold wings from the grab and go. -Doug, Prepared Food Managers

Q: Thanks for slicing the red cabbage (and onion) thin on the salad bar! It makes a better salad.
A: You bet! Thanks for letting us know we are bringing it! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: There must be a better option than Boar’s Head for roast beef in the deli.
A: From a blind taste test / clean ingredient filter, the Boar’s Head has consistently won among our staff vs the McKenzie Artisan. I am open to other specific suggestions though, please stop my and share them with me when you can! -Doug, Prepared Food Manager

Q: Please make sandwich punch card integrated into member-owner POS benefits.
A: That is an interesting idea. It may be possible to do this at the POS but it would mean eliminating the punch cards so non members would lose this promotion to do so. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Wellness

Q: Please list the EWG ratings next to products.
A: We currently use the EWG ratings on many products. To place the ratings next to the product could clutter the shelf space. We are looking at ways to incorporate it into our standards. -Laura, Wellness Manager

Produce

Q: Please please please bring back “Buck” brand grapefruits. Our family and extended family dearly miss them.
A: We try to snag “Buck” brand grapefruits whenever we can but they are not always available. Sorry! -Robert, Produce Manager

Q: Why don’t you have the green biodegradable bags in the Produce Department anymore? I will use them if you do.
A: There are issues around both the manufacture and true “biodegradability” of the green bags. Very complex, but I would be happy to share what I know. -Robert, Produce Manager

General

Q: Himalayan salt lamp very soothing by customer service / express lane.
A: Isn’t it? Glad you enjoy it too. P.S. You can find them in the Wellness Dept.! -Emma, Customer Service Rep

Q: I go here sometimes with my grandma and it’s always fun to help her. You always have such exciting things that I wouldn’t find anywhere else!
A: Thank you! We are glad you enjoy your time at the Co-op! -Emma, Customer Service Rep