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604 S. First St.
La Conner, WA 98257
360.466.4101 or 800.992.7071
10am-5:30pm Daily
A fine selection of home and kitchen tools, fine foods and wine. Gourmet Shop specializing in olives with no artificial preservatives.
Get to know … The Ginger Grater and The Olive Shoppe
There’s something special about walking into a shop that is housed in a very historic building. The door doesn’t quite shut right, the window glass might be a bit wavy, and the floors are sometimes a little off-center and they creak. But the ambiance is nothing short of magical! For the Ginger Grater and The Olive Shoppe, located in the destination community of La Conner, Washington, that ambiance is part of what makes these two stores perennial favorites with locals and visitors alike.
For owners Gregg and Roberta Westover, it all started with The Olive Shoppe. Aficionados of all things olive, unable to find the olives they had fallen in love with during their travels, and knowing that really good olives are a quintessential ingredient in every great party, they decided that owning an olive shop was the perfect opportunity to satisfy all three issues, all at once. And for Gregg, as a trained chef with years of experience both locally and as an Executive Chef in Alaska, The Olive Shoppe gave him the opportunity to showcase his expertise by also offering tips and ideas on tasting and cooking with olives.
Today, The Olive Shoppe offers over 140 types of olives and 70 varieties that come from California, Greece, Italy, Spain and France – all of them beautifully packaged and all of them the highest quality available. There’s even an olive-tasting station so you can sample some of their featured products. Additionally, you’ll find amazing olive oils from around the world, including fresh-pressed, gorgeously green oils imported directly from a producer in Italy. According to Gregg, the best-selling olives are the Martini and the garlic-stuffed olives, but as he says, “It’s hard to pick a favorite because every single one of them has a taste and character of its own.” The Olive Shoppe also offers a wide variety of Northwest and local products including mustards, salad dressings, salsas and tapenades; you can order products directly from The Olive Shoppe website.
In 2006 the long-time owners of the Ginger Grater – a kitchenware, dishware and specialty food store with a very loyal customer base – decided that it was time to retire. Gregg and Roberta knew that they wanted to expand The Olive Shoppe, and they knew that locals and visitors alike would miss the Ginger Grater greatly, so they purchased the business and moved The Olive Shoppe into the space next door to the Ginger Grater. They increased the inventory of best-sellers and brought in new lines as well, in order to expand their selection to please an ever-growing customer base.
These days the Ginger Grater is always a busy store, with shoppers buying items that range from serving dishes for special meals, to linens and napkins, to cookbooks and kitchen tools, and to gifts for favorite cooks. And if you’d like some advice on cooking great meals using their specialty food products (and olives!), just ask Gregg and Roberta. They are so knowledgeable about their products, and they enjoy making their customers feel welcome.
Visit www.lovelaconner.com for more La Conner fun!