The Cupboard

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The best little locally-owned gourmet kitchen shop in North Alabama

from EXCURSIONS GUESTBOOK HUNTSVILLE, MADISON & DECATUR 10th Anniversary Edition by EXCURSIONS BY CITYVISION

Being north Alabama’s only gourmet kitchen shop is a big responsibility, but Ginger Cobl loves talking kitchen supplies and cooking with anyone who comes through her doors. She also works tirelessly to source her unique items from local farms, small businesses, and crafters.

“From day one, I have tried to make a big focus on bringing in other small or family-owned businesses;” Ginger said. As a result, about 95% of the items she has curated are from small businesses, generating an impressive array of cutlery, cookware, pottery, gourmet food items and more. Among those brands are the local 1818 Farms, which she became the first brick-and-mortar store to sell, and German knife brand Wusthof, which isn’t local but has been family-owned since the early-1800s. The knowledge of the people who make the items she sells, and the assurances of quality items creates a partnership among the dozens of small businesses whose products are featured in the shop.

“It’s fun to be able to work with other small businesses to do fun things,” Ginger said. One of those fun things is her “Cook the Book” event series that is now entering its third year. She chooses a cookbook, and the participants must purchase the book from her and prepare a recipe from it. The participants then enjoy the dishes and discuss the intricacies of each recipe. She describes it as a “book club for foodies.”

“It’s a really great way to delve a little bit deeper into a cookbook than you would on your own,” Ginger said. The books for the event have included Mimi Thorisson’s international books for French and Italian cooking, as well as others, such as “Beautiful Platters and Delicious Boards,” “Ama A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen” and “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

The Cupboard is so much more than just a store that sells kitchen items, Ginger has turned her shop into a one-stop for anyone with a love of food and people. In the eight years since she opened, Ginger has met a number of people from all over the world, learned their stories and helped build their businesses together. She loves cooking and helping others cook, but her passion for people is even greater. Helping an individual find the right items for them has set her store apart since it opened and her individual attention to customers keeps the regulars coming back and first-time visitors feeling like family. “Food brings the world together,” Ginger said. “It doesn’t matter what your background is, you can always find common ground around food GOOD food.”

THE CUPBOARD