Baldor Forager opens in Philly Whole Foods

October 21, 2016

Baldor Specialty Foods announced this week that its in-store, digital kiosk called The Baldor Forager — which makes the company’s selection of unique culinary items available to home cooks — is now available to shoppers at the newly-opened Whole Foods Market at 2101 Pennsylvania Avenue in Philadelphia, PA.

The Baldor Forager kiosk was first introduced at the Whole Foods Market in Williamsburg, NY, in July. The Philadelphia installation follows as the first in the company’s expansion plan. This kiosk, that allows customers to order one-of-a-kind produce items, is tailored to the needs of an increasingly sophisticated consumer.

Despite surging interest, specialty ingredients are rarely available through brick-and-mortar retailers. The inaccessibility of these items is reflected in search results, where two of the terms most commonly associated with a wide array of specialty ingredients are “where to buy” and “substitute”. The Baldor Forager satisfies the growing demand for wild mushrooms, heirloom produce and other items that were once the secret of the metro area’s top chefs. The Baldor Forager’s digital interface encourages exploration, discovery and a retail experience focused on customization. Shoppers are able to place their orders conveniently at The Baldor Forager kiosk and return for in-store pick-up in a day or two on average.

Baldor curates items available on the kiosk based on uniqueness, seasonality and popularity with celebrated restaurants. Current offerings include fresh, water-grown wasabi root, salsify and an unusual variety of lavender-hued mushroom from France called a Bluefoot.

“High-quality, specialty produce has always been the core of our business," said Baldor CEO TJ Murphy. "We’re really passionate about the items available through The Baldor Forager and can’t wait to share them with a new audience in Philadelphia.”

“At Whole Foods Markets, we’re all about constantly improving the customer experience” said Matt Lamoreaux, Whole Foods Mid Atlantic produce coordinator. “We know our customers want to try new, special and exotic ingredients, however, it has been a challenge for us to stock fresh, unique produce items that are very fragile and have a short shelf-life.  We’re thrilled to welcome Baldor’s unique in-store kiosk to our new store in Philadelphia. Now, our customers have the ability to order a gourmet item and have it delivered directly to the store, retaining the integrity of the product.”