Good luck finding fresh and nutritious food in some area supermarkets

Hope A. Smith
Published: January 9, 2009

Oh, the great grocery store debate. Here in Culpeper, you’re lucky. Including Wal-Mart, you have five (rumor has it, soon to be six) grocery stores. Four, if you only count the two Food Lions as one.

In Orange, where I’m unfortunate enough to do most of our shopping, we have one — Food Lion. In fact, in the 343 square miles of Orange County, we have three — all of which are Food Lion (yes, Locust Grove and Lake of the Woods folks, Bloom is an upscale Food Lion!)

Now, don’t get me wrong — the employees at Food Lion in Orange are so nice — you won’t find a more helpful, nicer bunch of people anywhere else. However, the selection and prices leave so much to be desired. How is it, when you’re trying to prepare a healthful meal for your family, and you ask where the mango chutney is, you get the “deer in the headlights” look?

I’ve heard people talk about this fabulous grocery store, Wegman’s. They have locations in northern Virginia and one coming to Fredericksburg. My husband recently started raving about the new Wegman’s in Gainesville. Big deal! It’s a grocery store, for crying out loud. Giant — now that’s a grocery store. Fresh produce, large cheese slection, plus a gorgeous deli — they even have a gourmet food aisle! Giant is my mother’s Graceland as far as grocery stores go — but she has yet to witness the glory that is Wegman’s.

We had the chance to stop by Wegman’s on our way back from a visit with family before the holidays. I may have heard angels sing when we passed through the front doors. There was so much —deli, fresh pizza restaurant, Chinese buffet, cheese section — let me stop there before I overwhelm you! You walk up to their deli, and if there’s something you’d like to try before you buy, guess what? They’ll give you a free sample! Of course, this is a marketing trick, and a good one at that. Just on a sample, we ended up purchasing a half pound of Cooper Cheese. We’ve purchased another pound since that trial taste.

Just as a lot of warehouse stores do, they have sample stations set up. Once we got through the glorious deli, we happened upon a cheese selection that’s like none I’ve ever seen. You can easily drop a large chunk of change just on cheeses from around the world. And what goes better with cheese than wine? And guess what — if you’re of legal age, they have a sample station for wine! Oh, Lord, please pinch me, I must be dreaming! Their selection of wines from around the world is great, but our selection of favorite Virginia wines is unmatched by any local grocery stores I’ve seen yet.

“Well,” you’re thinking, “their prices must be outrageous.” What an eye-opener. Their everyday items, such as Maxwell House coffee, a staple in our house, is $4 cheaper than Food Lion’s. Most of their everyday items are cheaper. It’s my belief that they make their money from dorks like me who drool on the cheese and geek over the wine. Don’t worry, I didn’t really drool on the cheese. Not until we got home.

Don’t think of this column as an advertisement for Wegman’s. When I went back to Food Lion, though, what a rude awakening. Again, wonderful people, but we spent more money in groceries in our little Podunk town (no offense, I love the O.C. Virginia) than we did at an upscale grocery “superstore.” They remodeled our Food Lion some time back.
Aside from aesthetics, the only change we’ve experienced are their even higher prices.

And Lord help you if you get used to buying the same item every week — it may not be there when you go back next week.

Trying to eat healthy? Good luck on finding fresh and reasonably priced produce.

It’s become part of our weekly ritual now for my husband to stop by Wegman’s on his way home and pick up groceries. Aside from cheaper prices, you can’t beat the selection and freshness.

Hope A. Smith,