Vermont Shortbread Company

Where to Buy Holiday Shortbread?

We're slowly expanding our retail presence and we are making retail sales top priority in 2008.  However, internet sales continue to be our top source of revenue. 

If you're a local and you're looking for Vermont Shortbread gifts for the holidays, you can pick them up at the following retail locations: 

• Sweet Clover Market, Essex
• Beaudry's Store, Huntington
• Vermont Green Grocer, Richmond
• Moon Studio Day Spa, Shelburne
• Vermont Holiday Craft Shop, University Mall, South Burlington
• Simply Delicious, Barre
• Firehouse at Barre, Barre
• Apple Tree Natural Foods, Morrisville
• Stowe Coffee House, Stowe
• Leunig's Bistro, Burlington (dessert menu only - not available for retail sale)

We've got a few more big potential retail customers in the hopper, but I can't list them yet.  I'll let you know just as soon as they're on board.  We want to be in all the food co-ops and coffee hangouts across Vermont in 2008!  Let us know where you'd like to see Vermont Shortbread Company's products.   

The easiest and most stress-free way to order your holiday shortbread now is right here at our convenient Vermont Shortbread Company web site.  There's still plenty of time to order and ship before Christmas and we'll even put in a gift card for your recipient. 

This year we're doing quite a few corporate gift orders (40-50 gift boxes at a pop - we like those!) for local attorneys, banks, and other professionals who want to show customer appreciation with a personalized thank-you from Vermont.  We're also selling a lot of our shortbread sampler boxes for $22 (filled with 8 assorted "shorties" so your gift recipient can try ALL our wonderful flavors). 

There are 23 days until Christmas.  We cannot guarantee that orders shipped after Dec. 19 will arrive by the big day.  So, as of this writing you have 17 days left to order YOUR holiday shortbread.  What are you waiting for?  Order today. 

Cyber Monday: A Perfect Shortbread Holiday Gift Day

If you purposely avoid the malls like I do on "black Friday" and the first few days after Thanksgiving, you'll be happy to know that November 26 (Monday) is known as Cyber Monday.  Nearly 75% of online retailers offer specials on Cyber Monday and Vermont Shortbread Company is no exception. 

For each gift box shortbread you purchase from our web site today, November 26, we will add one of our famous shorties to the shipping box, FREE.  This offer is good on orders placed between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, November 26. 

So, go ahead, place your holiday gift order today and your lucky recipient will receive a little extra treat compliments of us.  Or if you want to be more "naughty" than "nice", just have your shortbread shipped to yourself.  I won't tell your great aunt in Nebraska...   :-) 

Holiday Craft Shop at University Mall

Just a quick reminder that the holiday craft shop at the University Mall in South Burlington opens on Friday, November 2nd. 

If you live in the Burlington area and prefer to pick up your holiday shortbread rather than using our convenient shipping service, stop by anytime during regular mall hours to make your purchase. 

I'm still looking for folks interested in working a few shifts at the store.  I will not be working there this year and will only be stopping by to check my inventory and display. 

BTW, if you're in the Barre-Montpelier area, we'll also be selling at the Barre Firehouse craft shop.  It's an old firehouse converted into a craft shop, coffee shop, and florist.  Very cool!  I'll have more info about when we'll be starting shortbread sales there after I get the U-Mall booth set up. 

I'm off to Connecticut and don't know exactly when I'll be back in Vermont, so toodles until the beginning of November.  Can you believe it's only 3 1/2 weeks till turkey day? ! This is going to be the biggest shortbread season ever! 

A Big Shortbread Day

Today's the Vermont Venture Network presentation, bright and early at the Hilton on the Burlington waterfront.  I'm ready and feeling confident. 

Then I change into my delivery girl clothes and will package and deliver our famous shortbread to some of my favorite customers in the Chittenden County:  Vermont Green Grocer in Richmond, Beaudry's in Huntington, Sweet Clover Market in Essex.  It's flying off the shelves and I'm flying all over Vermont to keep customers in shortbread.  Soon my cute little Saab will need to be traded for a big truck.   

Later this afternoon, I'll be shooting a commercial with my pals from Henhouse Media.  If you do nothing else, go check out their site.  And if you ever meet owner, Johnny Mendez, ask him about his obsession with all things fowl.  His place is loaded with chickens and his story is sure to have you in stitches as it did me.  The creative energy there is outrageously fowl and fun. 

Later this week and into next, we'll be setting up shop in the University Mall and in the Barre Firehouse Craft Shop.  I'll be needing some staffing for the U-Mall gig.  Anyone local want to work at the mall for a few shifts to help me out?  Email me at ann@vermontshortbread.com.   

How many shopping days are there until Christmas?  I still haven't counted.  I probably should.  My busy season officially begins next week.  Is Vermont Shortbread Company ready?  Heck, yeah.  Bring it on.  Order shortbread for Thanksgiving and Christmas now.  You'll be glad you saved yourself the stress that always comes with holiday shopping.  Let us make your 2007 gift giving successful.  We are grateful for you helping to make 2007 our biggest growth year to date! 

Holiday Shortbread Parties

I'm heading to my home state of Connecticut this weekend for a holiday open house hosted by an old college pal.  She started this tradition last year and invited a few of her small business friends to bring their wares and set up shop so guests could do their holiday shopping early and in the company of good friends munching on snacks and sipping wine.  Pretty cool, huh?  All that was missing last year from my friend's party was shortbread.  I remember I had another commitment and I missed out on great pre-holiday sales! 

So, picture this, shortbread friends:

A group of friends gathered in your house, sampling delicious baked goods, sipping tea (or wine, if you prefer) and shopping for the holidays with NO STRESS! Perhaps a fire is gently crackling in the fireplace and your kids and husband have gone out for pizza.  Everyone's relaxing with their shoes off (ever holiday shopped like THAT before?). You're laughing with your friends while a buttery morsel of shortbread melts in your mouth and a "MMMMMMmmmm..." escapes from your lips as you take a sip of Earl Grey tea.  You never knew holiday shopping could be so carefree, so easy. 

You as the host, get a discount off your entire holiday shortbread order and your friends get a 10% discount if they order more than $75 of shortbread products.  Invite your friends who sell homemade jewelry, quilts, whatever to join the fun and sell their stuff and think of all the stress you've saved everyone! 

Want more info on hosting your own holiday shortbread party? 

Email me today - ann@vermontshortbread.com for details and benefits TO YOU.  We're booking fast and there are not very many shopping days left till Thanksgiving and Christmas...so book now while we still have a few openings left! 

What I'm Cooking

A few years ago, my husband and I began a new Christmas eve tradition with some of our local friends.  We decided to each cook something that reminded us of our ethnic backgrounds and Christmas foods of our youth.  Nobody collaborated beforehand to make sure we had an even mix of side dishes, desserts, and main courses...the idea was to just cook whatever made us feel good.   Christmas comfort food. 

This year our little party has grown.  I have no clue what my guests are bringing, but here's what I'm making:

• Tourtiere - this is a traditional French Canadian meat pie from my maternal grandfather's side of the family.  I make mine with a mixture of ground pork, ground beef, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and ground gloves.  I add some bread crumbs to hold it all together and bake it in a pie shell.   The memories this dish evoke powerful memories of my grandfather who I adored.  In fact, as I was cooking today, I burst into tears as I remembered turning his recliner upsidedown when I was a child to look for coins that fell out of his pockets.  We always searched under the recliner when we visited.   
• Coconut Custard Pie  - my maternal grandma made the best coconut custard pie with just a hint of nutmeg in it.  Browned on the top, and creamy and rich on the inside, it transports me waaaaay back to a time when I believed in Santa.  I've always loved eggy-custardy desserts.  Next to creme brulee this is my fave. 
• Bakewell Tart - Bakewell Tart is a traditional English recipe.  My recipe was handed down from my great grandmother and the tradition is that you get the recipe when you get married and are not allowed to share it.  It's simply a buttery crust, with preserves (usually raspberry or current) on top with a topping made of egg, coconut, almond extract and sugar.  In my family, we always called it English pastry.  It was not until I married a Brit in the 80s that I found out, it was really called Bakewell Tart.  Whatever you call it, it's a family tradition that reminds me of simpler, kinder family times. 

The aromas coming out of my kitchen today are incredible.  They remind me of a white house in Connecticut many years ago.

On my stereo I have Handel's Messiah playing.  Not just any recording...oh no...this is a recording that I sang in way back in the early 80s when I was heavily involved in the Southern Connecticut State University Choir and Glee Club.  This particular performance was done with the Yale choir and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.  The few hours of standing while performing just flew by as I concentrated on my alto part.  It gives me shivers to listen to it now.  The funny thing is that I have not performed in the Messiah in years, yet I remember my part perfectly, no sheet music needed to sing along.  I can sing it perfectly, on pitch and with confidence - no thought required. 

It's interesting how some stuff (music, food, physical activities) becomes so ingrained in our memories that they become part of our cellualar makeup.  We remember them without even thinking and they evoke the most powerful of emotions. 

Between the food and the music, I am feeling teary and emotional.  (Maybe that's the onions I'm slicing causing the tears...I dunno.)  The mix of new traditions and old traditions gets me pretty worked up, I admit sheepishly and sappily, yet warmly.    My  wish is that each of my guests tonight feels similarly as we share food and drink from Christmas past. 

Wishing you peace and a happy Christmas.  I'm off for a few days. May your next few days be filled with good food and joyful memories...whatever that means for you. 

Ann Zuccardy,  Vermont Shortbread Company

'Tis the Season...of ??

Last year at this time, I published an article by Suzanne Falter-Barns called How to Protect Your Dream at Dysfunctional Family Get-Togethers.  It bears re-reading now. 

Beyond the dysfunctional family, 'tis also the season of dysfunctional consumer stress.  I've noticed that many people use the season as an excuse to take out their stress on others.  Working in retail this year, I've seen a lot of it.  I can't tell you how many people I've seen "snap" in the past week - at clerks, other motorists, co-workers, family members, you name it.   

I guess the best we can do, both as retailers and personally is to calmly apologize and fix the problem if we've made a mistake OR recognize that it's not our problem and get on with it.  Recognize that a customer, friend, spouse, co-worker, ex-spouse, or family member's holiday temper tantrum is ultimately about them, not you.  Adults often want to draw you into their tantrums so you'll validate their reality.   Luckily, you get to choose what you want to experience. 

Go read the article now.  Read it with a light heart, knowing that the season of holiday stress, be it familial or societal, is culturally-induced and laden with a lot of emotional baggage for many people. There's nothing right or wrong, good or bad, here...just choices that we all control for ourselves. 

'Tis the season of stress.  'Tis the season of peace.  Take your pick. 

Ann, who is still elbow deep in shortbread, and feeling 99.9% peaceful

Holy Mall!

Well, here I was thinking the mall was not the best use of my time and energy this holiday season.  And then I got another mall check in the mail today for the past 2 weeks of sales.  I made a lot more moula in two weeks than I expected in two months at the mall!  While my target customers do not shop at the mall, people are just buying maniacs this time of year.  Target, schmarget...I'll take the dough. 

What I did realize is that WORKING at the mall is not the most efficient use of my time.  My efforts are best directed in the office.  So next year, I'll pay someone to cover my shifts at the Holiday Craft Shop.  Still looking for someone to cover Saturday, December 23rd which promises to be an insane mall day. 

Anyone out there want to put in a shift at the Holiday Craft Shop this Saturday?  Call me pronto!  There's money and free product in it for the right person.  Pleeeeeeeease? 

This is all pretty exciting and I'm tired.  Off to bed for more shaking and baking tomorrow. 

Ann at Vermont Shortbread Company

Snow: Will it Stay or Will it Go?

Fluffy flakes have been accumulating all morning.  I just shoveled a couple inches of white stuff off the front steps.  Still it's abnormally warm for this time of year.  The ski resorts really count on the Christmas - New Year week to get their season off to a profitable start.  What's good for Vermont tourism is good for Vermont Shortbread Company. 

Me...well, I decided long ago that I am not a cold weather person.  I don't downhill ski.  I don't ice skate. I may venture out on x-country skis or snowshoes, but I'd rather be sitting in the hot tub when the snow is falling.  My skin is olive and I get chilled when the temperature drops below 32.  However, there's something essential about snow on the ground for a Vermont Christmas.  I'm hoping this snowfall sticks! 

The View From the Bakery

Here's a shot of a small portion of the shortbread boxes we shipped today (see my Charlie Brown tree on the right?).  I think there are about 50-60 individual orders in these piles. 

Note to self for 2007:  Figure out a way to make a sturdy shippable gift box like the ones Hickory Farms uses so the Vermont Shortbread elves don't spend a ton of time wrapping and packing.  We'd spend $$, but save hours.  We've gotten to the point where this is crucial.