Barre Foods, Inc.

Heather Pierce

They do have a fairly decent selection for a smaller store, however they aren't the cheapest by any means. Unless they have a good sale going on, which they often do, most items are very overpriced, compared to other markets. Years ago, they were much cheaper & meat prices were always terrific. I noticed that they added on space to this store, but for what purpose? It looks like with all the additional space, it was only used for alcoholic beverages, some additional bakery items & children's toys. You'd think they could've been a bit more innovative, seems a little wasteful to add on so much extra, simply to make room for booze & pastries, plus toys? What an odd combination too. Why not add some more inviting features like a floral section, where you can get fresh cut flowers or something? Or even a salad bar? I also noticed that they do offer many natural/organic & local products, but not much variety at all of ethnic foods. Some prices were really outrageous too. Another thing that I should mention is that they do have a marked down (clearance) section like many other stores located in the frozen food aisle, but most items on it have no price stickers, and do not ring up on sale at check out, which is a pain & very time consuming, because the clerk has to then ask another clerk to confirm the price, rather than just punching in the number on the bar code, so you'll have to stand in line longer, while other customers behind you are getting aggravated & impatient at the priceless item taking so long for confirmation. They could simply make sure clearance items are priced correctly (or at all)! Or just believe the customer, not too many people are going to lie to you about ground coffee or canned soup on special, although I get that you have your rules. I just wish the checkout could move faster. I lived in Barre several years ago, employees were much friendlier back then & full of energy. Now they show lack of speed & enthusiasm. They've added a hot food bar, but I must add that most of the food I've seen on it doesn't look very appetizing. I got the chop suey for my young daughters once, but they wouldn't eat it because it was loaded with peppers. Nice deli though with delicious macaroni salad & fresh grinders with lots of meat for reasonable prices, convenient lunch on the go, perfect for picnics or to take to work or elsewhere. They do have a nice selection of children's toys though, ranging in price anywhere from a few dollars, to up to probably $30 or maybe more. I like that they carry Melissa & Doug toys, which usually offer classic fun things for kids such as puzzles, or pads to color with markers, etc. It's convenient if you need to pick up a birthday (or other occasion) gift for a child while you're out grocery shopping, instead of having to go to another store. I will also add that the restrooms (which were previously open to customers) were closed at the start of the pandemic, though the manager still allowed my young daughter (who was potty training) to use them, after I explained that there were no other public restrooms available in the area, so definitely very considerate of him. I should add that this store cannot provide WIC customers with print outs (receipt you can request at stores that participate in the WIC program to determine benefit amounts). When I have tried obtaining a print out in the past, I was given a paper that showed 0 benefits, which I knew wasn't true. I then went to Ware Big Y right after & requested a print out & saw full benefits listed. You can use your WIC benefits at this store, but you must know what you have available before shopping, because they cannot verify this for you. I'm not sure if they've since updated this feature, as it is an inconvenience for WIC customers, as you cannot simply call your card for a balance, such as with credit/debit or EBT cards & not every customer always keeps all of their receipts. They offer lots of old fashioned candy here as well, whether you're looking for classic fruit slices or malted milk balls, they've got many favorites here!

Scott Norris

I'm very impressed with the atmosphere and variety at Wholesome foods. It has more to offer than most chain grocery stores and the prices are very competitive. I will go out of my way to give them business. Definitely the best choice around!

Ralph Gendron

Excellent quality and service. The new owners are putting in a lot of hard work into the business which includes expanding the store. They changed the name from Barre Foods to Wholesome Foods.

Richard Donati

Barre Foods was very busy today I was surprised on a Wednesday midday. They've expanded quite a bit their quality is very good their prices may be a little bit high but not too much so. It is very nice to have a small place to Shop Rite in town without having to head to a big grocery store. The employees are very nice the store is clean.