The first time I checked out a “vegetable butcher” I wasn't impressed. Eataly, the super-premium destination retailer, had one in their Chicago store's produce department. It was a prep sink on the sales floor that, frankly, didn't look like a good idea to me. It had food safety nightmare written all over it.
But the idea of custom-cut produce hasn't gone away. Retailers are embracing it, building a case for consumers to choose them over the guy down the street — or the box delivered direct to their doorstep.
So I went on a mission to find “real” retailers — not a quirky premium store like Eataly — that have adapted this “vegetable butcher” concept. I found quite a few. In Kansas City alone, Hen House's newest store offers the service from its fresh-cut kitchen in the center of the department, and so does Queen's Price Chopper.
I was looking for more of an interactive experience, however, and I found it at Coborn's in Minnesota. Their new “Chop Shoppe” is fun, visual and, best of all, safely tucked away in a fresh-cut clean room.
Tom Williams, director of produce, tells us all about it in November's cover story “Chop it up a notch,” and the video tour on Produce Retailer TV.
Check it out, and let me know what you think. Have you gone super premium with your fresh-cut?