FACES & PLACES LOCAL COLOR JUNE 2009 Cookery Ware Shop Whisked in the Right Direction for Forty Years and Celebrating with a Birthday Bash and Giveaway by Susan Sandor    Foodies in the know have a culinary hot spot in Bucks County where they can find anything for the kitchen they need, from gadgets and utensils to heavy-duty pots and pans and espresso machines. That place is the Cookery Ware Shop in Peddler’s Village. They occasionally find themselves rubbing elbows with local chefs and celebrity cooks looking to add another invaluable item to their kitchen thanks to Barbara Orphanides and her mother Florence Kummer, whose retail concept continues to grow since they opened their doors four decades ago. The Cookery Ware Shop hung its shingle in Peddler’s Village in July of ’69 when Julia Child was the culinary guru and started a cooking revolution. Latching on to Child’s ideas which were inspiring home cooks proved to be a profitable beginning of a business that Barbara thought she would only temporarily be involved with since nursing was her profession and cooking was simply her pleasure. But Barbara got hooked on the business, testing the goods they traded in, learning what customers wanted, managing a staff, chatting with patrons, and before long running the business became her passion along with cooking. “Sometimes the path you follow presents new opportunities and you just have to see where it takes you,” Barbara said. My mother led me to a new career and I am thankful for her intuitiveness. Two of Barbara’s daughters, Lisa and Christina, are also immersed in this culinary enterprise, which makes for one happy family business. “We are constantly searching through trade magazines, attending trade shows around the country, and meeting with sales reps to find unusual items we know cooks will love. With today’s technology life in the kitchen can be more interesting and enjoyable than ever before,” declared Lisa, manager of the store. When asked to comment on what she thought contributes to the shop’s longevity and success, Barbara, without hesitation, responded that customer service equals customer loyalty and she and her staff will jump through holes of a slotted spoon if necessary to satisfy. She believes that inventory is important but as in any retail business there are fads and trends so being on top of what’s hot at the moment is another contributing factor. She points out that the popularity of ethnic cooking for instance is a changeable trend. “One moment it’s Asian, the next moment Mexican is all the rage, so when you think about the proper accoutrements needed to prepare these different foods and set the table you can count on us to have them in stock to accommodate the rage,” said Barbara. If you’re like me brand names are important because we’ve learned about the brand through marketing and can make an informed decision about what we buy. In other words we’ve been properly introduced. The Cookery Ware Shop has premium brands that speak in many tongues from around the world—Wusthof knives and cutlery from Germany, Emile Henry ramekins and quiche dishes from France, Zyliss cheese graters and mandolins from Switzerland, Nicholas Mosse pottery and tableware from Ireland, Casafina dinnerware and bake ware from Italy, Zoshirushi rice steamers and thermoses from Japan, Culinary Institute of American cookware and corkscrews from, well America of course. How can a shop boast an inventory of over 15,000 items? I’ll start naming one item each from A to Z then let your imagination work like a pastry bag squeezing out more gadgets like icing on a cake: asparagus peelers, biscotti pans, cannoli forms, Dutch ovens, escargot tongs, fish poachers, grill pans, herb scissors, ice cream scoops, julienne peelers, kugelhoph pans, larding needles, mandolines, nutmeg graters, olive stuffers, paella pans, quiche dishes, raclette grills, spaetzle makers, tangines, ulu knives, vermouth spritzers, waffle irons, “X” cookie cutters, yogurt makers, zucchini corers. You name it they’ve got it and it will make your life in the kitchen easier! Whether you’re looking to find the culinary cutting edge gizmo, need to dig up a useful kitchen thingamajig from the past, or you’re simply out chef spotting, the Cookery Ware Shop can whisk you in the right direction satisfaction guaranteed. Mark your calendar and join their 40th Birthday Bash and Giveaway on July 10, 11 and 12. There will be demonstrations aplenty provided by representatives of famous name brands, birthday cake, games, and chances to win prizes valued over $8,000, including a Viking Professional Stand Mixer. Come into the store all three days and increase your chances to win big! The Cookery Ware Shop is open every day and is Shop #66 in Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, Pennsylvania. Please call 215-794-8477 or visit their Web site at www.cookeryware.com for more information.