High Street Market Offers a Smaller Option for Great Food, Service
For the last 16 years, the small grocery store offers a more unique shopping experience.
By Bobby Martin
For fans of freshly cut meat, homemade baked goods and service with a smile, High Street Market might be your next favorite local store.
The homey little shop is conveniently placed on High Street in Westwood, in the plaza across from the Mobil Station.
Upon walking into the store, and to the back, patrons can spot Pete Giancola - a butcher with 36 years of experience and 10 of them at High Street Market - preparing some extraordinary pieces of meat.
And everywhere in between, store owner Liz Adams can be seen bustling around, making sure everything is perfect for her customers - whether it be by slicing cold cuts, preparing a salad or helping with a custom order.
"The main thing here is the customer service," said Adams. "We care about the customer's input and will always listen to suggestions. This is something that takes us apart from the big grocery stores."
Adams began her career with High Street Market in 1995; the store itself is 16 years old. Adams was born and raised in Westwood, giving her the advantage of personally knowing many of her customers. She said that she tries to make the shopping experience great for each customer in many different ways.
She gave an example of a customer who needed a roast a day ahead of what was originally asked. But Adams is happy to oblige. Since her customers are what keep the store going, things like this are no problem for her, she said.
Charlie Kiggen, a regular customer, said he shops at High Street Market almost every day, and that while the products are always excellent, it isn't the main reason why he keeps coming back.
"I come in just about every day and it is for the cordial reception," said Kiggen as he exited the store after purchasing a few items, including lottery tickets and sliced cheese.
The store is made up of two full-time workers - Adams and Giancola - as well as six part-timers. The store has employed many local high school and college students, which has been a way to strengthen the local economy at its roots.
Another way Adams likes to help the local economy is by trying out new vendors. She said that she likes to try products from small, local vendors because it helps everyone involved.
High Street Market still remains a bit of a hidden secret, and Adams explained that often times people will come in and rave about the products but also say that they never even knew High Street Market existed.
Most repeat customers, Adams said, come from local towns like Westwood, Dover and Needham, but, thanks to word of mouth, many new customers have come in search of something specific that they have heard legends about. Some include Giancola's beef stew, crab cakes or crab meat.
"People come all over for the crab meat we prepare here ourselves," said Adams. "The customers coming to our great butcher shop know that they are getting food of the best possible quality."
While you probably can't do a whole week's worth of grocery shopping at High Street Market, Adams said that is not the intention. Rather, she hopes the store poses as a place where patrons won't find any pre-packed meat or hamburger. Instead, Giancola grinds the hamburger himself, and the store also prepares its own roast beef in the butcher shop.
"When you think meat, think Pete," Adams said with a little laugh.
Customers will also find top notch Boar's Head cold cuts, sandwiches, the store's own brand of sodas, homemade salads, scones, muffins cookies and "dirt bombs," which Adams described as similar to French doughnuts, rubbed in cinnamon and sugar. And, of course, everything is made from scratch.
For little shops like High Street Market, the recent painful economy can be detrimental. However, Adams said that High Street Market has gotten through the tough times thanks to faithful repeat customer base.
While consumer spending habits certainly diminished, Adams said people have still relied on the excellent quality that High Street Market has consistently offered since it opened 16 years ago.
While High Street Market has remained consistent with the products it has sold over the years, Adams said they are still in the expansion process. She explained that they are working on getting a beer and wine license, which would make it one of the only establishments in Westwood to have this.
High Street Market, located at 687 High Street, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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