Want locally grown produce? A comfy cafe? Spice and Grain is an ideal place! A small specialty grocery store located at 84 Main St, Ashburnham, Massachusetts, the shop is located inside the church operated by the New Dawn Arts Center. 

Spice and Grain has been open for close to a year now, opening on November 19th, 2022. The business came as a surprise to many, with advertising coming only a week before its doors opened.

The store is run by David Abbott, an Ashburnham resident who is excited to continue growing his business in year two. 

Spice and Grain has many aspects to be pleased with and Abbott is thrilled to be able to provide the community with fresh and healthy produce from locally sourced farmers, while also providing patrons with other groceries and baked goods. 

Abbott is also happy to be able to give customers the option to reduce their packaging with their bulk bin section of refillable beans, rice grains, cereal, and more. Not to mention, with their cold brew on tap – they have some of the best coffee in the area!

With a strong sense of community, the store receives produce from around six of Ashburnham’s local farms, almost every single work day of their 6-day week. Buyers get what they pay for, as the prices are fair for the quality of goods.

Spice and Grain’s main distributor is Myers Produce, located in Hadley, Massachusetts. They provide Spice and Grain with small, farm-fresh produce year-round. They also have a smaller distributor in Boston called Baldor Specialty Foods that provides them with, less local, yet still very important produce. Spice and Grain were originally going to sell only local produce, but after the Ashburnham Marketplace shut down they needed a way to sell items, like bananas and baked goods, to the community.

Currently, Spice and Grain is still in its stage of discovery, with some people unaware of its existence. But when people finally arrive, they are not disappointed. This hometown shop deserves all of the recognition it can get, and anyone can help, whether it’s making a post, or simply mentioning it in a conversation. They have a Facebook page. 

But just because this store is in the process of being discovered doesn’t mean that it’s not frequented. Spice and Grain has a steady flow of visitors each week depending on the season; Mr. Abbott hopes for a 50% increase in customers, this time next year.

Mr. Abbott has said that the concept of Spice and Grain has existed in his mind for a very long time. He has run several retail stores in the past and has always wanted to do things “his way”- which continuously evolves. So, with this idea, he planned out the shop pretty easily, with different agencies in Ashburnham helping it to run smoothly.

He has always wanted to be able to provide a spot for local farmers and producers to sell their products and is thrilled to be currently able to do so. Asking him what his inspiration could be, he responded with “these folks”, the farmers and producers that work hard to provide produce for the store.

Spice & Grain just hosted their first event, a Fall Equinox-themed Ayurvedic tea tasting. The small store is interested in hosting future events that are somewhat related to the health or food field.

So if you’re in town, looking for a good place to grab a bite or a refreshing drink, stop by Spice and Grain, you certainly won’t be disappointed. 

Spice and Grain can be found on Facebook or at spiceandgrain.squarespace.com.