Whole Foods no longer selling Iggy's?

[kelly001]

croissants or chocolate croissants? Those new croissants they are selling for the same price are pretty horrendous. What the hell happened?

[bostonbroad]

I don't have any specific knowledge of this, however, I was a bakery manager there for years and still shop at the same store I worked at it. I can comment on how they have been operating for years: find a great local vendor; figure out a way to approximate that vendor's product on their own and then stop ordering from the vendor (at least that product) to make better margins. Their artisan bread offerings have been slowly shrinking for years. They ripped off Dancing Deer's cookies, Buns of Bostons breakfast pastries, they tried (but did not succeed) with Iggy's French Rolls. But they have been trying to get more and more of their own frozen, par-baked breads on the shelves at the expense of local vendors.

[Bob Dobalina]

Isn't that a little like the Walmart model?

[jkv]

Or Trader Joe's, maybe.

[devilham]

I used to work at an "upscale" grocery store in cambridge years ago (long since closed), and that was kind of our kitchen model as well, seems to be an industry standard.....but I never felt to right doing it.

[cigalechanta]

so has Star's(Shaws) no longer selling iggy's

[Aromatherapy]

Argh! They used to get a killer cracked wheat bread from upstate NY (?); I don't think they even bother making their pathetic imitation any more. Lucky I'm near Iggy's but what a pain.

[kelly001]

Well, in all fairness, I gave Whole Foods croissants a chance but I don't think they even approximated Iggy's offerings. Not spending one more dime on those crappy pastries.

[robertlf]

The Whole Foods bakery is rather lame. In general, the baked goods may have good ingredients but are rather amateurish. I expect more from a commercial bakery. I have a similar gripe with their prepared foods section but to a lesser extent. That said, I generally love Whole Foods...

[Science Chick]

This has been a sore subject for me as well. At the Newton/Washington street store, they stopped carrying any of the sourdough whole wheat Iggy's breads some time ago. They definitely try to push their "artisan" breads, but they don't even make a sourdough WW to substitute. At the Newton/Walnut store, they still carry the sourdough WW, both in baguette and pullman (sometimes round, too). Not sure if the same for the croissants, but maybe another store will have them. Of course, by the time you go running around, you could have just gone to Iggys!

[Lucymax]

If they do enough of this kind of stuff, then it's even more reason for us to cut WAY BACK on shopping at Whole Paycheck.

[Science Chick]

The main reason I shop there is for organic items. If another store had a decent selection, I'd shop there....try to hit TJs for most things. But come this summer, I have my CSA share, so I can stop forking all my cash over to WF!

[bornagainitalian]

I always see Iggy's sourdough at Russo's, can't recall if it was whole wheat. I hunt for Iggy's 7grain myself. Sounds like I have to re-think my weekends to get my 7grain fix.

[StriperGuy]

Personally I HATE Whole foods. But I do love Iggy's. To help Iggy's business and get the bread you love why not contact Whole Foods and tell them how you feel:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/compa...

[Scruffy The Cat]

I've also been trying to vote with my wallet. Since they started pushing their own bread, I've made a point of buying *only* Iggy's if I'm at WF (which, more and more I try not to be). I try to buy a loaf or two a week just to support them. It totally burns me to have that yucky WF bread try to muscle out the Iggy's.

For what it's worth, I don't expect them to listen. Their margins will be much better with their own product. That being said, there's a reason their stock isn't doing all that well these days. Too many decisions like this are pushing people away.

[rlove]

Scruffy & StriperGuy, may I ask where you are shopping if not Whole Foods?

[Scruffy The Cat]

I do a rotation: Russos, TJs. Verrill Farms if I'm out that way, Stop & Shop, Owen's Poultry Farm, and I got a beef share and a pork share from Tilldale Farms in NY. http://www.tilldalefarm.com/ Getting the beef and the pork kept me out of WF for a good long time.

-----
Tilldale Farms
Hoosick, NY, Hoosick, NY

[Bob Dobalina]

Just need to find a fish share / CSA and we'll be set. Where was the fish lady from last year?

[nonaggie]

The fish lady from the Lexington market (I think they're called Globe Fish) is at a store called Crushed Grapes & More in Lexington on Friday afternoons:

http://www.crushedgrapesandmore.com/t...

[bostonbroad]

Oddly enough, there has been discussion of starting fish CSAs (calling them CSFs- community supported fishing). Your post reminded of a story I saw in the Globe about that, but I also found this link in the Gloucester Times. (I'm not good at links, sorry).

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/archiv...

[StriperGuy]

Like Scruffy I rove around quite a bit.

My most common stop year round is Arax Market for fruit, veg and misc:

Arax Market
585 Mount Auburn St
Watertown, MA 02472
[phone]

In the summer I get a lot of stuff at local farmers markets.

I also hit Super88 and other Chinese grocery stores whenever I get the chance.

Russos is also great.

Fish at New Deal in Cambridge or catch it myself.

And if I absolutely have to I hit a Stop and Shop, Shaws, or WF. In reality this happens maybe once every two months.

[Science Chick]

My WF store starting phasing them out about a year and a half ago and I made a huge fuss. Talked to the bakery folks and then wrote a formal request at Customer Service. Didn't help. Likewise, they have started phasing out alot of their organic and whole grain flours (kamut and others) and replacing the shelf space with all kinds of organic cake mixes. I shop there to find great grains, etc so I can do my own baking...the last thing I want are those mixes. Again, my complaints have fallen on deaf ears.....

[Aromatherapy]

I just bought a francese at the West Medford WF, and they had several other Iggy's breads. So I would guess it varies by store, probably by sales volume.

[Science Chick]

Yeah....oddly enough, I occasionally find a spelt loaf at the Newton/Washington St. store, even though they stopped carrying most of the whole grain breads. Go figure!

[kelly001]

I'm not talking about their bread, which I still find in all their stores. I'm talking about their croissants and chocolate croissants.

By the way, this is the response I got from Whole Foods:

"Thank you for contacting Whole Foods Market. The North Atlantic has switched to an in store baked croissant. However, the Iggy's products are still available to all stores in the region. Please contact your local store to inquire about special ordering the product. I hope this information has been helpful."

[bella_sarda]

For a good selection of whole grain flours there's Harvest Co-op in Cambridge. Prices are great because they sell in bulk.

[Bob Dobalina]

Don't forget about the Iggy's bakery outlet near Alewife - why not just cut out the middle man and go to the source? Pretty sure they have everything you all are looking for.

-----
Iggy's
130 Fawcett St, Cambridge, MA

[kelly001]

I certainly stop there every chance I'm in the neighborhood but it's a long drive for me otherwise. Whole Foods in the suburbs was much more convenient to get Iggy's stuff.

[rlh]

So true - they have everything (you want your bread unsliced - no problem!) and more...and fresher...including excellent drip coffee (Illy or Terroir) and terrific pizza slices (after about 11a) - if Whole Foods is really cutting them off, they should open more outlets close to other WF stores - I am pretty sure lots of people would make the extra stop if it were not too much of a detour. Another reason to find alternatives to WF for me (added to the ridiculous prices, the parking lot madness, and the blandest prepared foods I know of).

[robertlf]

WF Fresh Pond had some Iggy's breads today.

[StriperGuy]

Of course at fresh pond you are 1/2 mile from the Iggy's bakery.

http://www.iggysbread.com/main.html

[winedude]

At the risk of going off-topic, do any of the local WF's (or anywhere else nearby) carry Pain D'Avignon breads? I happen to shop at the WF in Providence from time to time, and they carry them, but I haven't seen them anywhere else, and don't have an excuse to go to Hyannis for them. I find them to be much better than what I've had at Iggy's or, frankly, anywhere else in the Boston area (including WF's in-house, TJ's in-house, When Pigs Fly, etc.).

[autopi]

they have them at pemberton farms, in north cambridge. i agree, they make some fine loaves.

[galleygirl]

I believe most WF's carry Pain d'Avignon bread. I've bought it at Charles River Park, Newtonville, Symphony, Fresh Pond; they even had a Pain d'Avignon person in giving samples. To me, tho, it's a lower rent version of Iggy's(I think they started together, and Iggy's broke off...)....I bought a pumpernickel baguette of theirs, and was a little alarmed at some of the ingredients, IIRC, the colorant...Why would you do that?
Their Pain de Campagne is pretty goode pressed sandwich bread, tho.

[bostonbroad]

Also available at the Brighton store.

[winedude]

Hmm. Must be my bad luck. I've looked for it in Hingham, Wellesley and recently at the WF in Newton/Washington St., with no luck (and didn't even see a place where they might keep it.)

I think they're sourdough is the closest I've found to my beloved SF sourdough (Acme) in the Boston area. And, at $2.49 for the 1lb loaf, it's a pretty good deal as well.

[galleygirl]

Even tho I was a little harsh on them at first, I think the ciabatta at B&R is the best sourdough I've had in awhile. Got it at The Concord Cheese Shop yesterday...

[overproofed]

I haven't seen it at the Newton/Washington St. store for at least a year. That store seems to be placing much more emphasis on their in-house breads, which are not as good. However, they still stock it at the nearby Newton Four Corners store (Walnut. & Beacon St.). The Pain de Campagne isn't always available (I've noticed more than once a similar, though definitely inferior, WF house bread in its place), but they usually have at least 4 or 5 varieties.

[emc]

I love Pain D'Avignon breads. They have a limited selection at the WF on Cambridge Street. However, a few weeks ago, the woman working in the bakery area told me that with just one day's notice they'd order you what you want.

[robertlf]

Which is where I went to buy my bread and got to try their great pizza slices.

[rouxmaker]

I'm sure I'll be flogged by this post, but I won't miss Iggy's. I find their breads heavy and dry and tough. I'm glad to see the door open for B&R or Flour, Whole Foods own bakery, or other local better bread makers in the area.

[winedude]

Actually, you've reminded me that I want to amend my earlier post about Pain D'Avignon. I think that Clear Flour breads are just as good (if not better), but I just can't get them anywhere buy their store in Brookline, and I'm rarely there.

[autopi]

pemberton carries clear flour baguettes as well, as does canto 6 in jp. they are our favorite baguettes in the city, though the one b&r baguette we got from dave's fresh pasta may have been equally great. the pain d'avignon and iggy's are the next notch down, in my opinion--but still good loaves.

[Gigihsu]

Capone in Cambridge sells Clear Flour bread.

[bella_sarda]

As do Savenor's and Wine & Cheese Cask (sell Clear Flour breads, that is), but supply can run out early. Savenor's also carries B&R breads, both locations I believe. For the Iggy's fans in Somerville, Union Square farmer's market has an Iggy's stand every Saturday.

[bostonbroad]

Deluca's downtown, Bina Alimentari also downtonw, and Allandale Farm on the JP / Brookline line also sell Clearflour (Bina only sells baguettes, I think).

[cpingenot]

Formaggio Cambridge has had (although I haven't gotten it recently) both Clear Flour and B&R Baguettes. The grocer in Huron Village also has Clear Flour baguettes.

Last time I was at Formaggio they had "store baked" baguettes. It was late on Sunday and I didn't have any other options, and it was an OK loaf- I'd say about like Iggy's but not quite as good as B&R or CF. I'm curious if that's a new thing and how it works (are they par-baked and frozen? are they house made, or just house baked?)

[BostonZest]

Salumeria Italiana on Richmond Street in the North End sells B & R. It's worth a walk from the Back Bay to buy it.

http://www.salumeriaitaliana.com/

[robertlf]

You can also buy B+R at B+R in Framingham. It's up the street from the fabulous Aegean greek restaurant.

[Zatan]

I was just in the Brighton location and they had the Iggy's croissants....

[galleygirl]

And, the real deal is, Whole Foods has stopped carrying Iggy's Chocolate croissants, in favor of their own. You can still get them to order Iggy's choc. croissants, but it's a special order.

[CookieLee]

If you're in Brighton, the Clear Flour Bakery in Brookline makes v. good choc and plain croissants.

[tatsu]

If you are at Fresh Pond, you might as well go to Hi-Rise Bread Co, it's even closer than Iggy's and the bread is better.

-----
Hi-Rise Bread Co
208 Concord Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

How is Hi Rise closer to Fresh Pond than Iggy's? (making mental map to myself....) Iggy's is only a block or two from the pond itself. right?

I do love both places, tending to get breads from Iggy's and pastries from Hi Rise.