Mark’s Score 8.9
Williams Market was the first farmers market I visited when we moved here a decade ago. But it is on the opposite side of town from where I live, so I do not frequent this store. This summer they held their first summer festival, giving me an opportunity to pay them a long overdue visit, and I am glad I did.
Williams Market is one of the oldest farmers markets in the area, having been in business for over 30 years. It is run by Phil and Denise Williams, the second generation of Williamses to run the store. It began as a seasonal produce stand but as the years have passed the business has evolved into a year-round hybrid farmers market, garden center, specialty food and wine store. Over the years, the business focus has shifted from produce to plants and flowers, specialty foods, and home/holiday décor.
It was billed as a summer festival, so I guess you should expect it to be hot, and the thermometer hovered around 90F (32C). Fortunately, there was a nice breeze, which made the temperature almost bearable. As part of the festival, they had several vendor tents, and live music.
It was just around lunch time, so I picked up a hotdog from the Mad Hatter truck, and a piece of key lime pie from the Key Lime truck. I washed it all down at the wine-tasting stand (featuring local wines), and settled down to eat my food while listening to live music.
It had been a while since my last visit, so once I got all the festival items out of the way, I wandered around the grounds. The Williamses have refocused the operation toward garden plants, and it shows. I have been to a number of markets like this as I travel around Delmarva. How Sweet it Is has an extensive shrub and tree section, but Williams wins hands down when it comes to flowering plants. Walking through their flower section is like walking in an English garden. They take pride in offering high quality plants, and I think that pride is well placed.
Their expansion includes household items, which frankly don’t interest me. But they have also added specialty food items, including spices, sauces, preserves, meats, and prepared foods. There were many interesting food items, that I would like to try. But the real treat for me was the prepared foods from the Village Shop in St Michaels. The Village Shop is famous for making gourmet dishes for local tourists, prepared by the chefs at Gourmet by the Bay, using only the highest quality food items. When I am too busy to cook for myself, I find it far better to buy a well-prepared gourmet meal than to order a mediocre, over cooked, lukewarm take-out that arrives and hour late.
Williams Market presses all my buttons, a good product, and excellent service, owned by a local family, employing local staff. In an age dominated by inhuman internet companies, I appreciate supporting neighbors offering an excellent product.
What else is there to do in Salisbury?
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