By Abby Bowen, Bradford Stewart, Brooke Tucker, Malcolm Aguebor
IMC students
hottytoddynews@gmail.com
Chicory Market continues to grow it’s business and encourage farm-to-table eating as the world endures a global pandemic.
“Our business overall has done well. People are cooking at home or looking for healthier options and have interest in taking care of their bodies,” said Chicory Market’s owner John Martin.
Chicory Market is a full-service grocery store located off Highway 7 in Oxford, MS owned by John Martin and his wife Kate Bishop. Chicory carries seasonal items from watermelon and tomatoes in the summer to butternut squash and kale in the fall.
“We want to be as full service as possible. We want to be convenient for customers to support local farmers and food makers” says Martin as he explains the market’s philosophy.
Chicory Market works with over 75 farmers to ensure the farm-to-table aspect of their business. “We are here to provide an outlet for the local farmers and food makers when the markets aren’t going on,” Martin said. “It helps expand their customer base, so that’s a big part of what we’re doing to help make local businesses more sustainable in the long run.”
Clear Creek Produce, of Lafayette County, is one of the many operations that do business with Chicory Market. Matt Britt, owner and operator, strives “..to make each customer’s experience memorable and enjoyable both on the farm and at the farmer’s market,” as mentioned on their website.
Aligning with Chicory Market’s philosophy, Clear Creek Produce prides itself on providing quality homegrown fruits and vegetables.
Besides some of the organic items you might find at Kroger or Walmart, Chicory Market is the only spot in Oxford with real, organic and intolerance-concerned groceries.
Chicory does its best to work with natural food distributors. “A lot of it is based on what our customers are looking for. We carry a lot of vegan and dairy alternative products,” Martin explained.
Community has been important to Chicory, especially during the pandemic. They’ve added different structures to their business to keep their staff and customers safe while enjoying the locally grown food they have to offer.
“My roommates and I picked up some ingredients from Chicory Market to make a homecooked meal together. We made an entire night out of it and had a lot of fun. Knowing that everything was of such good quality was an added bonus as well,” said Oxford resident Jessica Flannigan.
As a result of all of the efforts mentioned above, customers have the ability to fuel their bodies and bring farm-fresh meals to their own homes.