ALONG COMES MARY

One of my favorite places here in SoCal is Santa Monica; any chance I get, even if it’s just to have a quick-lunch at Whole Foods, people watch at 3rd Street Promenade or thrift for bargains at their Goodwill, I am there. So, when Sally, from food delivery service, Santa Monica Merchant, invited me out to the new mall just down from The Promenade to see what they had going on up on the 3rd level at The Market (think of the coolest, most hip dining court you can imagine), I was all over it.

So, just what is Santa Monica Merchant?! SMM is the new & amazing farm delivery service offering members in the Santa Monica, Venice &/or Topanga areas a curated source for organic and locally grown food delivered in customized crates straight to your doorstep within 48 hours of harvest.

(Packing day!)

SMM founder, Giles, was inspired to start the service after bringing some great beef back from his wife’s family cattle ranch in Texas. He and his wife drove around a few ranches in California to see if they could meet any ranchers with good grass-fed beef operations. They found great old school ranchers and discovered a bounty of local products grown here in Southern California cared for by passionate farmers who shared our same ideals – respect for the animals involved in our food chain and care for the soil which is our growing medium. They met organic farmers who refuse to use any pesticides (organic certified rosemary spray or not) preferring to plough in the crop and plant something the green-fly don’t like.) Honest workers like this produces great tasting, healthful products and were able to work with them and distribute the fruits of their labor directly to members.

Just what can you get in your crate? You name it!
Seasonal fruits & vegetables, grass-fed meats, line caught local seafood, artisanal cheese, farmyard eggs & even house made items such as fresh almond milk, stocks, broths and jams.

(Headquarters)

“We’ve put together a supply chain that includes California’s only USDA certified butcher and produce comes in 4 days a week from our local growers.” Explains their Social Media & PR extraordinaire, Sally, (below) “We’ve delivered over 6,000 crates in our biodiesel fueled refrigerated van since launching the Venice Service in 2012.”

Since everything is so fresh, your crate will, of course, vary each season, so no chance to ever get tired of your groceries! And, if you’re like me & might find yourself thinking, what should I make with this weeks delivery?! Members are also able to access & create recipes via their web-site…psst, many are gluten-free & you can easily customize your dietary needs to whatever you want to receive.

I was also excited to learn that if you’re not in their zip code radius for doorstep delivery, you can also pick up your crate at SMM. Going on vacation? No problem, as you can out deliveries/crates on hold for up to 4 weeks…how perfect would it be to schedule your resume date the day you get home? No need for that stressful run to the store 😉

While they build up their clientele, they’re offering an incredible introductory rate of just $20. I hope if you’re in the LA area, you will check them out by clicking here.
A huge thanks to SMM & Sally for inviting me to stop by & learn more about this wonderful service! xo