News

Archeologists are fascinated by the ancient foods they unearth around the world. From wine bottles discovered in tombs, to bones in small vessels, most likely flavoring soup, to bits of charcoal that turned out to be burnt bread from the European migration to Britain some 5,500 years ago. We’ve even heard about the 3,000 year old butter discovered in Ireland, albeit a little less creamy than its current counterpart. The oldest noodle (4,000 years old!) was found, not in Italy, but in the Lajia archeological site on the Yellow River in China.  Did you know that the cheese that was...

With this beautiful fall season upon us, we begin to look toward the comfort of home and our kitchens. In recent months, F.H. Gillingham & Sons has been unveiling new and exciting specialty foods, home goods, books, toys, and sundries. Our team has been diligently placing thought on what represents our store, our history, and the life we all lead in our “prettiest town in America”. Most importantly, we’ve been watching you, seeing what you marvel at when you peruse our merchandise, and of course, what you are buying for your palates, whether culinary or for the home. In the midst...

We’ll hear them soon… The welcoming school bells in the village of Woodstock, Vermont. Our youngsters running, skipping, tossing balls, climbing, and swinging higher and higher on that swing. Remember THAT swing? Perhaps you were fortunate enough to have a “swing set” in your backyard – the one with the striped poles that often came out of the ground when all of you tested it’s strength at the same time? Ah, recess…we all remember it well, fondly. The jungle gym and merry-go-round were magnets for kids sprinting, who will get there first, as the floodgates opened, twice a day, if you...

Summer conjures up freshly baked fruit and berry pies. We all flock to that table at gatherings or state fairs. In Vermont, one may see a roadside stand selling pies in that tin-punched pie safe, a jar of change nearby, yes, it’s the honor system here in these parts, and a small spiral notebook for the notation of your purchase – for inventory purposes, of course. The history of pie goes way back. Egyptians and Greeks set the stage, mainly with aromatic meat preparations. Pie made its way to America via the English settlers, frugal fillings with a virtually non-edible...

Tapas…the word alone evokes the Mediterranean: blue-capped domes, sultry little villages, lively music and appetites, a warm and salty sea breeze, bare feet, a sun-kissed glow – the scents of cultures far away, yet so close: briny olives, oregano, tomatoes off the vine, lemons freshly plucked from a nearby tree, fruity grassy wines, pungent mountain cheese, sweet watermelon, olive oil so beautiful, you could drink it, little capers that burst in your mouth, freshly baked breads and crackers from the neighborhood community oven. Some of us have enjoyed travel to Greece, Italy, and Spain…but most of us search out exotic,...