Interview with Heather Belcher, Owner
Fourteen years ago, Heather Belcher gave birth to her daughter. One of the first things she noticed was how inconvenient it was to drive from her Westford home to Burlington to purchase the natural and organic foods she sought to feed her growing family. After conducting an exit poll at the presidential election with a friend, and with the help of a marketing firm, Heather realized that other families in the area shared the same need.
According to one Yelp review, this is undoubtedly the case, “I don't know why I waited so long to go to this wonderful little store! I live about 10 minutes away and it's great to have such a selection of local meats and organic produce nearby without having to go all the way into Burlington. I love that they grind local VT meat in-house and the prices of the organic produce were very reasonable.”
In addition to their natural and organic food selection, Sweet Clover Market also offers a bustling deli (with amazing blue cheese dressing on their sandwiches, in my humble opinion), a seasonal creemee stand, bulk foods, and health and wellness products. Heather told me that she tends to see three types of customers: shoppers who exclusively buy organic, foodies, and local residents who are just looking for a few interesting ingredients to spice up their weekly meals.
Throughout October, Sweet Clover Market will be collecting used cookbooks from the community. Cookbooks are $5, and all proceeds will benefit Steps to End Domestic Violence, a non-profit that Heather worked at before opening Sweet Clover Market. Cookbooks can be dropped off at Sweet Clover Market anytime between 8 AM and 8 PM, seven days a week.
Sweet Clover Market is located at 21 Essex Way, at the Essex Outlets. “Like” Sweet Clover Market on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SweetCloverMarket/) or check them out on the web (http://www.sweetclovermarket.com/) for more information.
Why Essex? “When I was thinking of opening up Sweet Clover Market, I hired a marketing firm to see if Essex could support a natural food store. After conducting their research, they told me they had never seen such unmet need.” -Heather Belcher.
Why Essex? is a weekly(ish) column highlighting the people and places that make Essex an interesting and special place. Have an idea for the column? E-mail Darby Mayville at darby@essexjunction.org.
Photo Credits: Sweet Clover Market & Business People of Vermont