Standard Practice
Q: As a practiced consumer of editors' and writers' responses to readers' questions and comments, allow me to remind you that it's standard practice to include, in a response to a reader, the date or issue # of the originally appearing article about which a reader is commenting/querying. Here I refer to the June 2021 Reader who complimented the Parmesan Spinach Cake recipe, which clearly had been featured in one or another previous issue of "The Reader." But which issue? Here is where standard practice is employed. If a publication—yes, even "The Reader"—is going to feature a complimentary letter & editorial response in (in this case, the Customer Comments section) its publication, standard practice is to refer, in the editorial response, to the specific edition/issue in which was printed the subject of a reader's comment. As well, if you're going to pat your back by printing a compliment about a recipe, use it as a teachable occasion to inform readers about where to find (in this case) that recipe. (What's that, you say? Curious readers can simply 'google' WSGC's website for the recipe? Why make such unnecessary work for readers?)
A: Thanks for the reminder! Here's a link to the April 2021 issue: www.willystreet.coop/images/Reader/2021/PDF/April2021.pdf and here's a link to the recipe on our website: www.willystreet.coop/component/joomrecipe/recipe/825. Take care, Liz Wermcrantz, Editor
Gift Cards
Q: Hi there, A friend of mine just had a baby and I'd love to get them a gift card to help with expenses and that. Is it possible to buy one online? I'm in Ireland so it is a bit tricky. Thanks a million.
A: What a thoughtful idea! We don't have a way to purchase gift cards online, but we can take payment over the phone. Details about purchasing gift cards can be found at: www.willystreet.coop/promotions/gift-cards. I realize that may be tricky overseas, but it's the method we have available. Thanks so much for thinking of us and please let me know if you have other questions. Enjoy your day! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Bulk Herbs
Q: So, you know when you buy fresh herbs you buy them in a single-use plastic container and you only use what you need for your recipe and then put the plastic container with 90% of herbs in the refrigerator where it sits until rotten and then throw away the lot. I was thinking it would be better for the environment and people’s pocketbooks if we could go to the deli counter and buy the small amount we need wrapped in paper. You could charge a good amount because it’s still cheaper than buying a whole package and throwing it away. Anyway, that's all I got. Thank you.
A: Thanks for the suggestion! I'll pass it on to the produce managers to see if it's something they might consider. I'm not sure we'd be able to purchase herbs in bulk (rather than the clamshells), so that's something we'd need to look into. Thanks so much—have a great day! Best, Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Reciprocity
Q: Hello, I am a member owner of the new Oshkosh food co-op and was wondering if you honor that membership at your locations? Thank you!
A: Thanks for your inquiry and for joining the new Oshkosh Food Co-op! I was thrilled to hear that their grand opening was yesterday! Willy Street Co-op does offer reciprocity to owners of other co-ops by extending the sale price of our products on Owner Rewards promotion to you. Please show the cashier that you are an owner at Oshkosh Food Co-op when you check out. We look forward to seeing you! Enjoy your weekend. -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Chicken Prestige
Q: Now that the Co-op has taken over the space formerly managed by Seafood Center, I am wondering whether fresher, higher-quality chicken pieces could share the space with the fish. Just as the Co-op is a place for higher-quality fish, maybe the opportunity has arrived to equally elevate its prestige with chicken.
Speaking of chicken, there's an issue involving egg white. I have had occasions when egg white was solidifying in the carton and thought the problem began in the store. However, I haven't had any issues with whole eggs, so I don't have an explanation.
A: Thanks for the questions. Regarding fresh chicken, I'm happy to report that all of the chicken we carry is from Bell & Evans, which is a family-owned chicken company in Pennsylvania. Bell & Evans sets industry standards for both quality, flavor, and humane treatment of their animals.
I'm not sure what could be going on with solidified egg whites. This is the first report I've heard of that issue. If you ever run into a quality issue like this, you are definitely welcome to bring the product back for a full refund. Thanks so much! -Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Email Receipts
Q: Earlier today I received an email receipt for a grocery store purchase that I did not make. I'm not sure if the mistake matters to you or not, but thought I'd let you know just in case.
A: Thank you so much for letting us know that this happened. Most likely the cashier made an error when typing in the person's Owner number and ended up entering yours. That being said, please let us know if this continues to happen. We do have some steps we can take if we think someone is mis-using an Owner number. Enjoy the rest of your day! -Rosalyn Murphy, Owner Records Administrator
Zen Party
Q: My family are huge fans of the Zen Party snack mix from Sunridge Farms. shopsunridgefarms.com/product/zen-party-mix/
I found an empty bin—labels removed in the usual bulk spot. Staff said they thought you had discontinued it. It seems to still be available on line from the vendor. Please return it to your regular production line up.
A: Thank you for your comments! The Zen Party mix from Sunridge Farms has been discontinued by our supplier, so we no longer have access to it through any of our vendors unfortunately. I will mention it to our Grocery Manager at Willy East, and keep an eye out to see if it might return to one of our supplier's catalogs.
I appreciate you reaching out and letting us know what you are looking for that we are missing! -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
GMOs
Q: Willy St. labels many foods "non-GMO." Maybe Willy St. ought to be proudly saying, "This is a GMO food!" From the article:
'When I asked what kind of thing she was looking for, Delehanty grew animated. “Something with the sweet, smoky flavor of a scorpion pepper without the screaming heat,” she began. “Also, potatoes that resist bacterial scab. I’m sick and tired of getting scabby potatoes. The purple tomato—I would try that in a heartbeat.” She paused. “Oh, and bigger blackberries!” www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/magazine/gmos.html
A: Thanks for the comment and the link! We don't actually do any labeling of GMO products in our stores, and we don't have a stance in the GMO vs. non-GMO debate. We do, however, support transparency in food labeling; and it's true that many food manufacturers choose to put the non-GMO claim on their packaging, which many consumers find valuable. Thanks again! -Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Too Much Dairy
Q: Hello. I have been a loyal customer for 21 years. I shop at your store nearly every week, except during the pandemic (your delivery service was not good).
So, I am an avid pastry/bakery fan. However, I cannot eat a lot of your baked good because you tend to use a lot of milk. I bought a pecan pie from you once and threw up. Pecan pie usually does not have dairy, so I assumed it was safe. I tried shopping for baked goods yesterday at your store and ended up buying nothing. I was ready to buy a ton of baked goods and was amazed that there was nothing to purchase.
And why does your fried chicken have dairy? That is not an item that usually contains dairy. You folks often douse items with dairy that do not normally contain dairy. A lot of your customers are Vegan and Dairy is REALLY bad for the environment, being the #2 source of carbon emissions after beef. I would think that Willy St Coop would be mindful of this fact. Also, your unsweetened soy milk is often sold out. Why don't you stock more, given how popular this item is?
I think you don't realize the large number of people that are going non-dairy, especially for environmental reasons. You folks seem to not get it. I started complaining about this about 10 years ago, and nothing has changed.
Also, if there is a way to reduce your use of plastic packaging, that would be great. Thanks.
A: Thanks for the comment. I'm sorry you are disappointed by some of our offerings. I'll answer to the issues you referred to one at a time:
Our Pecan Pie does include both butter and eggs, which are clearly stated on the ingredient list. We do make some flavors of vegan and gluten free pies as well, so keep an eye out for those! We are very careful to make sure that the ingredient lists for any of our house made foods clearly state any allergens (including dairy) in all capital letters, so make sure to read the label before purchasing if you have an allergy.
As you probably know, we usually have a good variety of house made vegan bakery items, but unfortunately, the vegan butter substitute that we use for many of them (Earth Balance) is currently out of stock from our suppliers. We expect it to be back by the end of the week and we'll get our usual bakery items on the shelf as soon as possible. These sorts of supply issues have become more common during the pandemic—I sincerely apologize!
Our fried chicken is soaked in buttermilk before being breaded and cooked. This is a very traditional way of preparing fried chicken as the lactic acid in the buttermilk helps to tenderize the meat.
I'm sorry that you've found our unsweetened soymilk to be out of stock. I can't speak to every out of stock situation, but I can tell you that the vast majority of our out of stocks are due to supply issues. During the pandemic, it has been much more common for some popular staple items to be out of stock at our suppliers than it used to be. This is due to a host of issues with manufacturing and transport that have left supply chains really struggling to keep up. We do our best to ensure that we always have what you are looking for in our stores, and we'll continue to do everything we can to keep soymilk (and everything else) in stock!
Lastly, regarding plastic packaging. This has been a real struggle during the pandemic, since we were forced to drop many bulk options and many customers changed their buying habits and preferences. However, most of our bulk offerings are now back online, and we anticipate having full salad and hot bars up and running in our delis soon. I would urge anyone looking for us to reduce our packaging to utilize the bulk aisle and other bulk offerings as much as possible—the more of these we sell, the more we can expand the offerings. On the flip side, if items that are packaged become less popular, we will be able to reduce those options.
Thanks again for the comment. Have a wonderful week! -Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Quesadillas
Q: In the June 2021 Reader, a customer had a question about how you package the quesadillas.
I agree with this customer and would really like to have you return to selling quesadillas without the sauces (which accumulate in my family’s refrigerator and end up spoiling since we don’t use them).
Can you accommodate all customers, by selling quesadillas by the pound (as before) and offering the same with sauces who customers who enjoy them? Thank you for considering these options.
A: Thanks for the feedback about the quesadillas. We have monitored sales and have seen a drastic increase as a result of selling the quesadillas with sour cream and salsa. It's not often that we can make a change like this and see sales double as a result.
Right now, we do not have the labor at our commissary or in any of our delis to add on extra packaging tasks. Doing so would likely result in us having to cut a product from our current offerings. We are hoping to expand our salad bar selections next year and will hopefully be able to offer the quesadillas on the salad bar. That way folks can take their desired number of quesadillas and pair them with as much or as little salsa and sour cream that they'd like. Best Wishes, Dustin Skelley, Prepared Foods Category Manager
Equity Drive
Q: I didn't understand the owner's equity information in the most recent newsletter. Are you asking owners to make an annual donation?
A: Thanks for checking in. We are not asking for an annual donation during the August 16-29 Equity Drive, we are asking Owners who are on payment plans for their Owner equity to consider paying off their balance ahead of schedule, and new Owners to consider choosing the one-time payment instead of the 7-year payment plan.
I looked up your Owner number and it looks like you became an Owner in 2011 and opted to pay your equity in-full when you signed up—and so thank you for your support and for keeping your Ownership active by continuing to shop with us! We will not be asking you to make an equity payment during the drive since you are already paid-in-full. If you would like to participate in the Equity Drive, you can:
• Refer other people you know to become Co-op Owners (when a new Owner lists you as their referral, you'll receive a $25 gift card)
• Purchase a gift Ownership for someone else.
Please let us know if you have any other questions. Enjoy your day! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Wonderful Wraps
Q: I just wanted to say how DELICIOUS the ginger tempeh wrap is from the hot bar at North! Just got it for the first time today and it’s to die for. Just wanted to pass that along. And, I’ve long lauded the red curry tofu wrap to my friends, but never mentioned it to you. It’s amazeballs. Thank you!!!!
A: Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know how much you enjoy the ginger tempeh and red curry tofu (my favorite too). You can be sure I will pass along your feedback to all the staff involved in bringing those offerings to you. Your thoughtful words are much appreciated. Best, Katie O’Connell-Jones, Owner Resources Coordinator
Recipe Inspiration
Q: Good morning, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading the descriptions for Lily's Cooking Together classes and searching for recipes online for the dishes you feature from the various countries you include. In the June issue of the Reader you featured Flavors of Tibet, mentioning a rice pudding dessert called "Day-si" —I was able to find it online but it was called "Dresil." My favorite recipe I have made so far is Chakalaka (Soweto chilli) from South Africa. As an added bonus, it was gluten-free and vegan. I even made my own piri-piri spice blend for the recipe. And I love how the name sounds! Thank you for the inspiration!
A: Thanks for writing! I'm happy to hear Chef Lily's class descriptions have given you inspiration to try some new dishes in the kitchen! Happy cooking! -Liz Hawley, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Composting
Q: Hi! With UW-Madison shutting down its composting program (at least for the time being) I am looking for somewhere new I can drop off food scraps. I heard that there are receptacles for this at Willy St Coop and was wondering if it's okay to bring food scraps, and if so, what the parameters are (I read on one article on your site from 2019 that butter on bread is a problem, e.g.). Thanks!
A: Thanks for asking. The composting services we have available are for the food scraps from Co-op food preparation, and for dining at the store. We do not have the capacity to accept food scraps dropped off by customers. The City of Madison has guidance for the public on their website at www.cityofmadison.com/streets/food-scraps/Scrap.cfm, and you can find information about home composting and private vendors that collect food waste from households there. I hope that helps! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Bread Shortages
Q: I'd like to add to the comment about bread shortages in the August Reader. I had assumed that Brownberry's most-selling bread was frequently unavailable two days a week because of a supply issue. I was wrong. It's a process issue. Bimbo Bakery distributes bread to Willy West on Mondays and Thursdays. It's virtually impossible to know which bread are sales leaders and which are laggards when Bimbo only distributes twice a week. Adding a third weekly distribution would make the distinction more self-evident.
Another thing related to the August comment. The local bakeries have a history of not supplying enough bread on weekends. This issue needs to be resolved, or history will repeat when the bakeries return to full employment after the pandemic is over.
And my final comment relates to the bakery goods made at the central kitchen. I would like to see a sign stating when Willy's brand of cookies and breads (cake, really) are stocked. Some of us plan our shopping for when our favorites are available.
A: Thanks for the comment! Regarding the Bimbo Breads—can you tell me which breads you are finding out of stock? It's true that they only deliver twice per week, but that has seemed sufficient until now. I'm wondering if perhaps we need to devote more shelf space to the loaves that you refer to.
Regarding local bread on the weekends, at this point, it's all coming down to the supplies that are available to us. The local artisanal bakeries are delivering as much bread as they can with the staffing they have, and because our stores are busier on the weekend, we inevitably run out sooner. We will continue to work with them on this issue, and I am very sorry for the inconvenience!
Lastly, I checked in with our Prepared Foods Category Manager regarding the baked goods from our Central Kitchen. He recommends that you talk to staff in the juice bar regarding any items you're looking for that seem to be out of stock regularly. They may be able to hold products for you or come up with another solution that ensures that you get what you need when you need it. Thanks so much! -Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director