Your Guide to Local at Your Nearby Grocery Store
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that supporting local is one of the most important things we can do to help keep dollars in our home and build a stronger Arizona economy. And guess what? Shopping local doesn’t have to totally change your routine. There are plenty of local products that are sold at the sometimes more accessible grocery stores and supermarkets. Check out this guide to some of our favorite foods and goodies that you can find in the store you visit every week.
Every Day Groceries
Danzeisen Dairy is a local, family-run dairy that has been in Phoenix for over 60 years! They offer glass bottles to grocers fresh from their dairy or you can sign up to get it delivered! How fun would it be to have your own milkman? They offer tons of flavors alongside your regular 1%, 2%, or whole milk such as chocolate, peach, orange, eggnog, and cold brew coffee. You can return your glass bottles to the store you bought them from for $2 back as well. Their dairy is located only 10 miles from downtown Phoenix! You can find Danzeisen Dairy at most grocery stores. According to Arizona Milk Producers, Shamrock Farms products, Safeway Select, Daisy Sour Cream, Erhmann products, Franklin Foods and Arizona Cheese Co products all come from Arizona’s own dairies. The best part! It only takes 48 hours to get from the cow to the shelves, so you know you’re getting the freshest milk available!
Scrambled, over easy, omelets, hard-boiled; however you serve them, eggs are delicious! Hickman’s Eggs was founded in 1944 near Buckeye, AZ. They started with a few hens to provide fresh eggs for the family and now they have a processing capacity of more than ¾ million eggs per hour. They are still family-owned and operated and it the largest egg company in the Southwest. Looking to bring the farm to your table? Then grab a carton of Hickman’s eggs next time you're at the supermarket.
Calling all bakers! Hayden Flour Mills stone mills heritage flours and mixes that will elevate anything you put in your oven. They also offer crackers and cereals as an easy way to introduce ancient grains into your diet. The New York Times said their crackers are like wheat thins, but better. Their flour is never bleached or enriched; it is always fresh. Many of their customers who have gluten issues have been able to eat their flour without a problem. Their website boasts an awesome collection of recipes, from pumpkin pie pancakes to instant pot polenta. Their mill is located in Queen Creek and you can find Hayden Flour Mills at most grocery stores.
An everyday staple for many homes is peanut butter! The American Foods company provides more than delicious, all-natural peanut and almond butters. They also provide an opportunity to give back. The company began as a way to find nutritional food that would appeal to poverty-stricken families in Uruguay. Americano strives to be a socially beneficial company - their goal is to reduce poverty around the world. Delicious, nutritious, and makes the world a better place? Zero guilt when you buy their nut butters. And with flavors like cinnamon honey, white chocolate, and vegan offerings there is no reason not to try it! You can find Americano Foods at Fry’s and online.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
One of our favorite breakfast foods is bagels! Whether it’s toasted with cream cheese, turned into a delightful sandwich, or just munched on the go, bagels are a versatile item. Chompies has brought New York’s best bakery products to the Valley! Their bagels are egg-sweet challah bread that is baked in old-world style ovens and, of course, they only use the finest ingredients. Their bagels are boiled and then baked, giving them a slightly crispy outside and a perfectly fluffy yet chewy center. You can find them in the bread aisle of most grocery stores!
Another breakfast favorite is granola! It's great over yogurt, mixed in with other cereal, or on its own. Our favorite local vendor, which you can find in most grocers, is Laura’s Gourmet Granola. Their granola is gluten, dairy, soy and trans-fat-free, kosher, and is a great source of fiber, whole grains and protein! With eight delectable flavors, you are sure to find the perfect bite. More into classic flavors? Try their vanilla almond crunch. Maybe you like fruity flavors? Meet Blueberry Bliss and Cherryific. You can also grab a pumpkin pecan flavor or AppleLicious if you like fall flavors.
Who doesn’t love a good pizza or homey pasta dish for lunch or dinner? And what sounds better than family recipe pizza and pasta? Spinato’s has been cooking since 1974 and creating things like Broccoli Crust Pizza and deliciously authentic sauces. They want to make sure that there is something that everyone at the table can enjoy. Spinato’s does the work for you, so you can still have a meal worth sitting down to with family and friends.
Coffee and Tea
Speaking of breakfast, who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee? CULT coffee is a favorite and they are driven to bring a culture of growth and to cultivate the industry to be more focused on being sustainable and local. They have a robust line full of roasted coffees, blended teas, botanical infusions, and more. You’re sure to find the perfect way to start your morning or wind down after a long and productive day. You can find them at Fry’s.
We’re also big fans of Kombucha! Kombucha, a fermented tea drink that is sweetened with cane sugar or honey, may sound scary but it is quite delicious and great for gut health! If you’re looking for ways to be more health-conscious, consider adding Wild Tonic to your diet. Not only is it great for you but Wild Tonic is a big player in bee conservation as well! They offer both hard and non-alcoholic kombucha in flavors like blackberry mint, tropical turmeric, and mango ginger. Find Wild Tonic at your local grocer!
Beer and Wine
Arizona has a bustling craft beer scene and the uniquely flavored and often small-batch created beers bring an exciting option to the table. You can find SanTan and Huss brews in your favorite grocery store. SanTan Brewing are pioneers of the craft can movement and their beers have won national and statewide awards. A lot of their beers have tropical flavors and on their website, you can find some of their favorite pairings. Huss Brewing is family-owned and locally brewed and they are one of the state’s largest independent brewers. They were founded in Tempe! The Husstler Milk Stout, Scottsdale Blonde, and Magic in the Ivy are all award-winning brews. Another great local beer comes from THAT Brewery. Located in Pine, THAT Brewery has a special connection to nature and conservation. They try to keep their brewery as green as possible! They have a wide variety of ales, IPAs, Stouts and Blondes that you can find in most grocery outlets.
We love a good glass of wine. We love it, even more, when it’s from one of the many Arizona vineyards! People are often surprised to learn that grapes grow incredibly well in Arizona and our state makes for a great home to vineyards. Dos Cabezas WineWorks is one of these great vineyards, located in Camp Verde, and they have a wide variety of wines in our grocery stores. If you’re looking for something more on a budget, then check out Provisioner Wines. They offer white, pink and red. Are you looking for a wine that is specifically made to pair with food? Check out Phoenix New Times 2020 winner for the best winery, Pillsbury Wine! Pillsbury only makes wine made with their own grapes, weed by hand, and only use organic sprays. Their wine is truly, uniquely Arizona and you can find them in most grocery stores.
Snacks
One of the greatest snacks is popcorn! One of our favorite local popcorn vendors is Kettle Heroes. They have a huge selection of sweet and savory flavors and many of them are hard to find elsewhere. You can get porcini truffle cheddar popcorn, caramel apple pie, prickly pear, smoked chipotle and so much more! They also have holiday tins and variety packs available. Their products are all-natural, gluten and nut-free and kosher certified so everyone can enjoy them! Plus, on all of the profits, they make they also make charitable donations to groups and individuals in need. You can find them at Fry’s.
Lovers of all things chips and salsa, this local vendor is for you! My Nana’s has a variety of salsas as well as restaurant-style tortilla chips, tortillas and the traditional dessert buñuelos. My Nana’s comes from La Canasta and began in Phoenix by supplying the Hispanic community with fresh, handmade flour and corn tortillas. They are a certified minority and woman-owned foodservice that is now owned by second-generation family members. Their flour tortillas are hand-stretched and their corn tortillas are made from whole kernel stone-ground corn. This authentic food vendor has the motto of “large enough to meet your needs, small enough to care.” You can find them at most grocery stores.
Are you ready to turn up the heat? Find Arizona Gunslinger Hot Sauce at your normal grocery store. Originally from Mesa, they offer Organic Harvest and gluten-free flavors like prickly pear ghost pepper and key lime jalapeno pepper. You can also find jalapeno stuffed olives. Their sauces are thick and rich and you get more than just the spice. Their flavors are well defined and it adds a distinct edge to any dish. Their sauces have 20% pepper solids. They also offer BBQ, honey mustard, steak sauces and snacks.
If you like a more tangy snack, then you need to find Mrs. Klein’s Pickles at your favorite grocery store! All of their products originate from local Arizona farms and their recipe is over four generations old! So you know it’s delicious. They offer whole pickles in different sizes, spears, crinkles cut chips, and slabs. They also offer various spice levels.
If a community the size of Tucson shifted just 10 percent of its budget to local businesses, then we would see 1,600 new jobs, $53 million in new wages, and over $130 million in total economic impact. Imagine what the numbers would be if all of Arizona made that shift! That looks like changing which milk and eggs you buy or your snacks. Small changes really do lead to big results! And with these local products in the stores you already shop in, it can be an easy shift. There are more products than this too! Just ask an associate at your local store or check the labels.