Brattleboro Food Co-op - Brattleboro, VT

Brattleboro Food Co-op

Opened: 2012 in current location; 1975 previously

Owner: cooperatively owned

Previous Tenants: none

Cooperative: National Co-op Grocers

Location: 2 Main St, Brattleboro, VT

Photographed: August 10, 2021

The Market Report has arrived in Vermont for the first time, and what better place to do it than the Brattleboro Food Co-op! After all, it's close to familiar territory: just across the river from New Hampshire and eight miles north of the MA border. Plus, Vermont is the land of food co-ops, so this is a fitting introduction.

This food co-op dates back to 1975, but like many of these New England co-ops, recently moved into a modern supermarket building. This one was actually a new-build facility right in downtown Brattleboro, and the supermarket now spans around 21,000 square feet. It's one of four supermarkets in Brattleboro, with the others (a Market 32, an ALDI, and a Hannaford) located outside of the downtown area. This one has a very helpful color-coded directory to assist in navigation right when you enter...

...and that's particularly beneficial because the store isn't exactly set up like the average big-box chain supermarket. Produce is up front in the right corner, with bulk foods behind it. Dairy and frozen are also in the back-right corner, with deli, meat, and seafood at the back. Bakery and prepared foods/cafe are on the left side with natural HABA and beer & wine in the middle.

This is an attractive, expansive supermarket that focuses on natural foods but is definitely a full-line grocer, not just a natural specialty store. It's similar to the Monadnock Co-op we saw in Keene a while back, which is only about 15 miles away. We'll continue to see several similar co-ops here in the Green Mountain state.

Lots of local products here in all departments, which again are a staple in any New England co-op. There are so many local producers of all kinds here in Vermont that you barely need to bring in any food from out of state. At least, you can get in-state fruits and vegetables, crusty breads, and amazing cheddar cheese, so really what else would you need?

Like the Monadnock Co-op, this store still feels like a practically brand-new supermarket even though it's going on 15 years old.

The in-store cafes in so many New England co-ops also make me so happy when big-chain grocers have largely abandoned in-store dining. The co-op cafes are almost always attractive and well-designed, and paired with more deluxe amenities like a full service coffee shop or juice bar, which this store has. Brattleboro Food Co-op also has a to-order sandwich counter open for three meals a day and a pizzeria.

While this is perhaps the most exciting supermarket in Brattleboro, we're not done yet! Tomorrow, we're going to head north of downtown and check out a former supermarket, followed by a couple of the chain stores. Come back to see more!