City Market Celebrates Local

Burlington, VT – City Market, Onion River Co-op is celebrating their love of local this February with three exciting promotions. All three promotions offer opportunities for community engagement, education, and a little friendly competition.

Throughout the month of February, City Market customers will have the opportunity to enter a “Chocolate Sweetstakes” and win a whole year’s supply of chocolate from some of the Co-op’s favorite chocolate producers, including Studio Cacao, Laughing Moon Chocolates, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Equal Exchange, Theo, and Divine Chocolate.

Additionally, from February 2-15, City Market’s annual “We ♥ Local Food Recipe Contest” will focus on local dried beans. Beans are protein-packed powerhouses and can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. All recipes must use at least one of the following local bean varieties: King of the Early, Yellow Eye, Marfax, Jacob’s Cattle, or Tiger’s Eye.  These versatile, Vermont-grown beans come to us from Morningstar Meadows Farm in Glover, VT, a diversified family farm.  The winning recipe will garner one local cook a grand prize of a $100 City Market gift card and a Le Creuset Stoneware Bean Pot from Kiss the Cook. Everyone who enters will automatically be entered into the Chocolate Sweetstakes. Entries will be judged based on proportion of local ingredients, simplicity, taste, health, and originality. 

The top three finalists, selected by the Co-op, will be sampled and voted on by the public at the Burlington Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturday, February 28.  Last year, City Market received 35 entries and, out of 128 votes cast, the winner was Locavore Latkes. The 2015 winning recipe, along with the two runners-up, will be available at www.citymarket.coop/we-heart-local-food.

Once again, City Market has partnered with Jay Peak Resort to offer a 2-for-1 lift ticket voucher to everyone who submits a recipe and everyone who votes for their favorite recipe at the Burlington Winter Farmer’s Market. Throughout the month of February, City Market customers can also enter to win a 2 night ski vacation for 4 people at Jay Peak Resort, home to the most snow in Eastern North America. This package includes 2 nights at Hotel Jay, 2 days of skiing and riding, and access to the Pump House, Jay Peak’s indoor waterpark.

“We look forward to the ‘We ♥ Local Food Recipe Contest’ every year, and we’re excited to see what recipes our customers come up with using local dried beans,” said Pat Burns, City Market’s General Manager.  “The addition of the ‘Chocolate Sweetstakes’ this year featuring a few of our local chocolate producers is a delicious, fun way for us to engage our customers, as is the grand prize giveaway from Jay Peak Resort. Good luck to everyone who enters!”

About City Market/Onion River Co-op

The Onion River Co-op is a consumer cooperative, with over 10,500 Members, selling wholesome food and other products while building a vibrant, empowered community and a healthier world, all in a sustainable manner. Located in downtown Burlington, Vermont, City Market provides a large selection of local, organic and conventional foods, and thousands of Vermont-made products. Visit City Market, Onion River Co-op online at www.CityMarket.coop or call 802-861-9700.

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