Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

HI Wheatsville friends!

I hope you are having a great week. Lots of stuff in store for you this week. Next week, look for our awesome Super Bowl specials!

Scroll down for:
Construction update
Delicious Deli news!
Land of cheese
Bryan our butcher has words for you.
Staff Top 10 picks
Grocery and Beer specials

First board meeting of the new board is next Tuesday at 6pm in our large meeting room in our new offices at 34105 Guadalupe.

Construction update!
We have had a lot of stuff happening on the expansion front. You may have noticed the plastic in the deli. That means that the north wall of the store has been removed in preparation for the new addition! Right now, on the other side of the plastic barrier, workers are putting up sheet rock, installing refrigeration cases, wiring electricity and so much more! Outside, we have crews putting stucco on the addition, installing HVAC systems, and more refrigeration action. On any given day, we have 20-30 construction people working hard for us! 

This does cause some congestion in the parking lot. We hope to open up some additional spaces soon, but it will tight all the way through the project. Here are a few tips to make shopping easier...
Come early or late. Parking is pretty breezy before 11am and after 8pm. This is true on the weekends, too. 
Take the first spot you come to. As soon as you pull in, keep an eye out for the first possible parking spot.
Use the spots along the fence. They are perfectly fine and open for you!
Ride your bike if you can. We don't have endless bike parking, but we have quite a bit. Most of it is on the patio now.
Thank you for your continued patience during this time. I am really excited about our progress!

The deli and bakery are delicious!

New in the case this week are the Wheatsville Bakery's adorably delicious vegan and wheat-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies! Two chocolate-studded pumpkin cookie-cakes surround a cream cheese frosting center to make one unique gluten-free treat! Also, vegan Oatmeal Cream Pies, hearty Playground Bars and our beloved Banana Pecan Bread are all available to satisfy all sweet teeth!

 
January's very spicy salsa of the month has become a staff favorite! Our renovated version of Salsa Verde, a garlicky dip chock full of poblanos, jalapenos and tomatillos, is terrific on chips and adds a definite element of heat to an order of our Rice & Beans! 

In honor of the store's expansion project, which has now come right up to the back of the Deli counter, we have brought back a recent favorite: Wheatsville's smoothie of the month for January is called "Under Construction" consists of peaches, mangoes and orange juice, giving it a splendid safety orange hue.

 
Look for one of our favorite pasta dishes, Lemon Parmesan Tortellini, newly in the self-serve case every day for your convenience! Both the full-serve and self-serve cases abound with tasty and interesting dishes: the agave-sweetened and raw Lively Beets and Carrots is both beautiful and delicious, the Crispy Fish Cakes are made with sustainable fresh fish and organic sourdough bread, our Honey and Ginger-Glazed Chicken Wings use Buddy's natural chicken, local Goodflow honey and fresh-squeezed orange juice… the list goes on and on! And don't forget that Frito Pies are on sale this month, so be sure to get 'em while the gettin's cheap!

 
From the land of Cheese:
 
Right now we have a few specials going on in the Cheese Department. Our Shropshire Blue is now $15.99/lb normally $23.99/lb. Organic Valley Farms Blue Cheese Crumbles are $3.29, normally $4.29. Organic Valley Farms Mexiblend shredded cheese is $3.69 normally $4.49. Veganrella Cheddar and Mozzarella both are $3.29 normally $4.29.

 
Also, if you have not tried Pasta Co. Butternut Squash Ravioli, you are in for a treat. You are not going to get any fresher pasta unless you make it yourself. Keep an eye out for their wild mushroom ravoli.

 
From the Butcher:
 
I hope everyone has taken the opportunity to try our current member coupon for Niman Ranch steaks. Both Ribeye and NY Strips are $1 off with member coupon. Niman ranch meat is the true top shelf choice for cooks and chefs who know tender, great tasting, naturally raised beef. I'd like to share some facts on the protocols Niman ranch uses to produce a well respected product without inflicting unnecessary cruelty.

 
Niman Ranch is all natural. The cattle are never given antibiotics or hormones…ever. Cattle will never be given any kind of antibiotics, including therapeutic and sub-therapeutic antibiotics or ionophores. When an animal is sick, it will be treated with the appropriate medications, including antibiotics if their use is necessary to return the animal to health. Mass treatment of cattle with antibiotics is not allowed. Under no circumstances are antibiotics to be used for any purpose other than treating an individual sick animal. Any animal that is treated with antibiotics of any kind is to be tagged and removed from the Niman Ranch program. 

 
Niman ranch cattle are fed vegetarian feeds. They NEVER receive any feeds or supplements containing any fish, animal or meat by-product, fecal material, or garbage. Only vitamins, mineral, and supplements listed on schedule b may be fed to Niman cattle. They are humanly raised on environmentally sustainable ranches. Niman has registered all of these claims with the USDA.   

 
One of Niman's overriding objectives is for their cattle to be treated humanely, with dignity and respect. When appropriate the cattle will be allowed to express their natural behavior. Priority will be given to cattle that come from ranches where the primary occupation of the owner of the business is agriculture, and where the ranch is managed, leased or owned and operated by the family. All cattle, and the mothers of the cattle, must have been born, raised, and have spent their entire lives in the continental United States.

 
Niman ranch meats are fully traceable and source verified. Niman ranch has a personal relationship with every supplier of the cattle to the Niman ranch beef program and assure protocols are met from birth to the plate. All ranchers must sign producer's affidavits confirming that their program meets all requirements set by Niman Ranch

 
We're proud of the partnership with Niman ranch that lets Wheatsville provide this awesome product to our members. When further processing is needed in the shop at Wheatsville the same care and respect to life is shown. Always.

 
Staff Top 10 Picks 

Check out our "Staff Top Ten Picks" posted throughout the store, we work here and shop here!!!  Look for these signs in front of the products that our staff love.  These guys are featured for the month of January.

 
Featuring Heather Mayer, Deli Shift Lead:
 
Bulk Organic Unsweetened Pineapple Rings: Mmmmm, tastes like candy...
Synergy Kombucha: My favorite flavors have delicious ginger juice in them.

Humboldt Fog Cheese: Tastes like chevre and brie rolled in to one!
Bulk Quinoa: Complete protein and great addition to soups, salads, or anything!
Emmalicious Pepper Sauce: Sweet, spicy, vinegary and local!

Alcance Merlot (Chile): Rich and smooth. South American Reds are the best.
Dr. Bronners Soaps: Unlimited uses, no harsh chemicals, only great smelling essential oils.
Pink Lady Apples: The perfect combo of sweet and tart

Rice Chips (Sesame & Seaweed): Yes. My favorite 'junk food' contains marine algae.
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce: Add to popcorn with olive oil and nutritional yeast. Devour.
 
 
Featuring Theron Beaudreau, Grocery Stocking Supervisor:

 
Chocolate Hemp milk – As far as addictions go… I could do worse!
Guayaki Empower mint – I couldn't do my job without it!
New Wave Enviro 10 Stage Water Filter – By far the best investment I've made in years!

Organic Quinoa (Bulk) – This ancient Aztec staple makes all other grains seem impotent!
Remember When Dairy – Remember when dairy used to taste this good?
White Mountain Yogurt – Plain and simple, the best yogurt money can buy!

"Go Take a Hike" Trail Mix – Don't take my word for it… try a sample!
Garlic – My life would probably be cold and stale without it.
Creole Roasted Yams from the deli– Sweet and mildly spicy… try some before it's all gone!

Ginseng Extract – One a day goes a long way!
 
In the Grocery Aisle
 
Yogi Throat Comfort Tea:
I've been drinking a lot of this lately.  It serves as a nice way to warm up while adding a little comfort on the colder days. Made with licorice root and slippery elm bark, this flavorful tea helps with minor throat irritation as from a cold, and is also good for a singing voice. To read more about this and other great Yogi teas, check out http://www.yogitea.com

 
-Justin Merrifield, Grocery Buyer

In the Beer Aisle
 
Maredsous 10 Triple
This golden-bodied triple is redolent with a festive sparkle, complex aroma, lush body and creamy head. Sweetness and fruitiness join hoppy spiciness in a balanced, long, warm finish. This is strong ale, but the balance, finish, and velvety smoothness make this 10% brew smooth and quaffable.

In other words: it's "the bomb". Look for it in single bottles in the singles cooler.
 

Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!