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Say Cheese!
A genuine Amish Country experience Heini's Gourmet Market brings Ohio tastes to Amish Country By Ann Swinderman Along with the horses and buggies, breathtakingly beautiful countryside and unique shops, there’s one thing that every visitor to Amish Country remembers—the food. Now one area market has opened its doors and offers visitors the opportunity to sample local artisan food and take it home. Heini’s Gourmet Market, located in Sugarcreek, is a genuine Amish Country experience, as guests are encouraged to sample the items throughout the 4,000-square-foot store. As the anchor store for The Taste of Ohio products, the shop is packed with locally made goods ranging from cheese to chocolates to pastas to peppers. “This is not just going to be a store to look at things. This is an experience, where you can actually taste how the actual ingredients we carry here can add something special to your meal,” said owner Lisa Troyer. She, along with her husband, Bob, and sister, LeeAnne Dauwalder-Martin, own the W. Main Street market. The family trio are not strangers to the food industry business, as they are second generation owners of the famous Heini’s Cheese Chalet in Berlin, or as locals know it, the Bunker Hill Cheesehouse. A decision was made in 1935, when the cheese house opened its doors, to use only local, wholesome products in their cheese. That tradition has remained and is the foundation which sets Heini’s Gourmet Market apart from other area shops. “Our focus is, whether here at the market or at the mother store, that the cheese is manufactured with 100 percent Amish farm milk,” explained Troyer. “We want to make sure that folks know our product is set apart because we use raw materials and it’s absent of artificial growth hormone.” Another tradition that was started at Heini’s Cheese Chalet in the 1960s has continued on at Heini’s Gourmet Market—sampling. “Our assumption is that we don’t expect someone to buy something that they have not tasted. Early on, when our parents started offering sampling, people said they were going to go out of business giving away all those samples. But we’ve always believed that people should taste what they are buying,” Troyer remarked. In fact, along the refrigerated showcases, beneath each cheese is a container filled with cube-sized bites of each cheese, all waiting to be sampled. Cheese sampling is not the only thing that Troyer wants customers to try. At the demonstration kitchen area, a select number of items found in the store are available to try. Whether it’s homemade bread dipped in a seasoned garlic olive oil or corn chips and salsa, your taste buds will love Heini’s Gourmet Market. Since the market offers a vast number of Taste of Ohio products, guests can be assured that what they are purchasing is the best Ohio products made, many produced locally. Troyer said the rural sophistication of partnering with other local artisans has given the market a flair of its own, one that can’t be found elsewhere. “If you’re looking for something new to share with your friends and family, there are things here that are not commonly found elsewhere. But it’s all here under one roof,” she noted, mentioning that quantity is not the goal but quality is. Another way Heini’s Gourmet Market focuses on quality is in the demonstration area. With the popularity of the Food Network, cooking demonstrations will be scheduled at the Sugarcreek market. Many of the chefs who contributed to the Yogurt Cheese Lovers cookbook, that was penned more than seven years ago, will make the trek to Amish Country to demonstrate their culinary skills as they prepare their recipes. The cookbook still remains popular at food shows and conventions throughout the U.S. “We recognize that there are so many folks that enjoy the Food Network and the talent in the Midwest and how it has broadened, so we’re offering products here to bring that culinary experience into their own homes,” she explained. Near the cooking demonstration area is the L & L Bistro, that features specialty sandwiches, all made, of course, with products sold in the store. With a menu featuring a Jam-N-Swiss or Garden Veggie Gobbler Panini, bistro eating has never been more delicious. One other addition that is coming to Heini’s Gourmet Market is entertainment. With a schedule of local musicians lined up to perform and future art shows that will include photography, pottery, sculpture and paintings, the market is becoming a true artisan destination. While Troyer noted that the original Heini’s Cheese Chalet in Berlin is still a definite destination when visiting the area, the Sugarcreek market is a “more leisurely” shopping experience. While tourists can still watch the cheese making process and take a cheese house tour at the chalet, the Sugarcreek shop offers a complete taste of the Amish Country experience. “There are so many products that are labeled from Amish Country,” Troyer said, “but don’t originate from here. When you buy a piece a cheese with the Heini’s brand label on it, you can be guaranteed that it originated in Holmes County.” It’s that same tradition, that began years ago at the cheesehouse, that continues on at Heini’s Gourmet Market. For a genuine taste of Amish Country and a Taste of Ohio, a stop at Heini’s Gourmet Market makes any trip to Amish Country complete. Heini’s Gourmet Market is located at the intersection of state routes 39 and 93 in Sugarcreek, at 1019 W. Main Street. The market is open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed on Sunday. For more information, call 330-852-3500 or 866-531-OHIO. |
Address: 1019 West Main Street Sugarcreek, OH 44681 330-852-3500 866-531-6446 (toll free) Visit Us: M-Sat, 9-8, closed Sun Visit Our Website: www.heinisgourmetmarket.com
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