Excellent place to stop for a snack or groceries. Gas pumps were very busy. Local kids having a bake sale outside... Cute
There's also a decent selection of wines in the middle of the store past the natural section, local and craft (and regular) beers and hard ciders, and also spirits, including locally made ones, near the pharmacy for the harder stuff, and near the back freezer aisles for the beer.
The front of the store (between the produce and local sections and the cash registers) make up the "natural foods section." There's decent offerings there, including Ezekiel breads for the super-health bread eaters, lots of GF products, local sodas, bulk goods, baby foods and higher-end baking items, like cane sugar and agave nectar, teas, natural juices, Annie's and Newton Organic's line products for snacks and lots of fancy chocolate bars and candies. Surely, I'm leaving somethings out, but you get the idea.
Good selection, including Maine-produced items (cheese, yogurt, poultry). Great fresh local seafood. Quality of their produce was quite good, and they had a selection of good crusty bread in the bakery. Felt like a big city store in a pretty rural area.
The rest of the store offers your general grocery fare, but with a eye towards offering local or higher-end items along with the "regular" products (think local organic cage-free eggs next to regular grade-A's, local Kettle Chips next to Lay's, or Kelly's of Maine butter next to Land o Lakes.) My family is just me and my husband and our income is on the lower end of average for our area here in Downeast Maine, so I have no problem, and obviously a need to buy regular products, but being in the food business left us wanting to spend on certain items and I'm glad to find a place that offers both in one not-huge-grocery store, and we can make it work on our budget, occasionally going over to Hannaford's, Reny's or Walmart in Ellsworth (or using Amazon) for home goods like bulk paper towels and other items that are cheaper or not found at Tradewinds.
Smaller grocery store and a bit more pricey than Hannaford's, which has similar products and a larger bakery and seafood selection (as well as just more aisles and products due to space), but Tradewinds has recently started a Local Only part of the store, with a fun selection of odd items like local fruit wines, beauty products, condiments, and snacks, as well as a great local coffee from 44 North and a wall of spices from a local company, with rare spices and blends that are otherwise hard to find in this area. And on the back wall, a refrigeration and freezer section offers local milk, cream, butter, yogurt, juices, and cheeses of all kinds and, in the freezer, local meats and poultry, (flash-frozen, which makes for the meat to be as good as fresh -- or better -- upon thawing... it's unavoidable for farms not to flash freeze, because otherwise they would have to sell their cuts right after butchering and their high-end meats could go bad if unsold. I'm a ex-farm marketer and artisanal business owner, and guarantee that with proper thawing, you wouldn't be able to tell a flash-frozen cut of meat or poultry from fresh one. And if you are lucky to afford such pleasure, or can indulge occasionally, its definitely worth it to buy the local frozen meats instead of the fresh meats and poultry in the regular section, or even the non-local organic packages -- and you will be supporting Maine food!) ... but back to Tradewinds: the local section also offers frozen blueberries and lobster tails, savory and sweet pastry options and other frozen lunch or dinner items (they sometimes change, so I recommend checking it when you stop by).
My local grocery since it opened. Owners often work in the store although they have several others. Willing to get unusual or unique items on request, always friendly, committed to offering local produce and products. Owners are very committed to supporting the community and have volunteer funds and resources for many local projects.
Plus, it seems that Tradewinds tries very hard to keep the store current and the staff are all wonderful.
But, having recently moved from Surry to Brooklin, Maine, I can't say I'm displeased at all with the change of my weekly store going from Hannaford's to Tradewinds. I really like that I can get in and out in a short run because it's a smaller and well-thought out store. And I love the doggie car wash (for muddy days out with my dog) and the gas station in the parking lot for convenience.
Finally, I can't recommend the pharmacy enough! Amazing staff, & pharmacist is the best I've known, truly caring people.
I paid for the fresh haddock but it was very fishy. I wouldnt buy fish there again. The store was ok for essentials.
The produce aisle offers local blueberries and strawberries in season, as well as other produce like broccoli, corn, green beans, and salad greens and mixes.
Tradewinds Marketplace is a US Supermarket based in Blue Hill, Maine. Tradewinds Marketplace is located at 15 South St, Blue Hill, ME 04614, USA.
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