Groceries & Markets in Maine

Hoping to revive the culture of the neighborhood butcher shop, with its personalized service, attention to detail, and artful products, restaurant-industry veterans Justin Rosberg and Jason Parent took a gamble on their first New Hampshire butcher shop in 2003. Dubbed The Meat House, their store quickly earned a foodie following, spawning additional franchise locations across the country. Today, The Meat House’s many locations stock fine cheeses, prepared side dishes, other gourmet grocery items, and hundreds of wines alongside the usual selection of traditional and exotic meats. Butchers also explain how to prepare each hand-carved cut of meat, sharing recipes, best slicing practices, and cooking techniques for giving pork chops the flavor of justice.

At Eat More Cheese, cheese reigns king over a diverse selection of specialty foods, including salami, dried fruits, jams, and chocolates. The shop corrals its cheese from across the U.S. and abroad, taking pride in a process that ensures each of its products is properly cared for and in peak condition upon hitting the shelves. Inside the shop, the Eat More Cheese staff fosters a welcoming environment, and encourages customers to sample as much cheese or ask as many questions as they please before making a purchase.

We wanted to bring the forgotten, ho-hum sandwich into the gourmet, great tasting, great for you arena. We use only natural chicken, no hormones, fresh mozzarella and fresh herbs just to name a few. Our soups are made in house with stocks that we make ourselves using only the freshest ingredients.

The connoisseurs at MacNab's Premium Tea stock more than 65 different tea varietals for every sipping occasion, from black tea for the morning to holiday blends specially concocted to repel Santa Claus's advances on Christmas Eve. At the shop, teas are divided into eight categories, ranging from black or oolong to green or earl grey. The staff also blends its own brews, such as Murray Tavern, which is based on a tea found singing karaoke in a 1700s gathering house.

For more than 50 years, Northeast Coffee Company has connected loyal customers and national businesses alike with their favorite renowned brands of coffee and loose-leaf teas, including Green Mountain Coffee and Bigelow. But in its modern incarnation, this distributor thinks beyond the staple beans and teas. Their online catalog and storefront in Skowhegan now carries a variety of specialty products, including Selection cappuccino mix and Swiss Miss hot-chocolate packets. They also stock a wide range of K-cups, including those from Caribou, Wolfgang Puck, and Green Mountain Coffee, all of which come in airtight containers that keep every roasted flavor impeccably fresh and ready for immediate brewing. To complement their beverages, they also stock coffee sweeteners, disposable cups, and lids to prevent potential spills while riding the family dog to work.

Over the tops of the apple trees, clouds gather in the distance above the hazy, rolling mountains. Thirteen types of apples thrive here, and have for nearly a century. Row upon row of golden delicious, macintosh, and honeycrisp apples blossom and grow throughout the summer, before droves of folks come to pluck the ripe fruit from the heavy branches. In the summertime, strawberries and peaches multiply beneath the sun, and in the fall, the staff bottle pressed, unpasteurized cider to toast hands faced with the mission of finding the perfect pumpkin that will hopefully transform into a carriage this time.