Farm & Fable

Beautifully curated boutique with a mix of new high-​end and vintage kitchenware. The selection of cookbooks alone make this a worthy destination for any cook or baker. I hope they continue to expand their product offerings and include more small-​ticket items for gift giving, especially host gifts.

A great space in the heart of the south end. This store offers a mix of fabulous antique treasure and local products from artisans and craftsmen. My favorite part of the store is the downstairs test kitchen which holds cookbook book club as well as other cool events.
I had my husbands birthday there and Abby helped me to organize an awesome event pair her style with some other local vendors… We had flask and funnel serving up cocktails in the test kitchen and it was truly a night to remember!
Also, don’t forget to Check out the collection of vintage cookbooks she has for sale… They are so much fun!

I don’t get it. I’ve walked by a hundred times and never seen anyone in there, so I decided to go in one day after going to the cheese shop across the street. There was a woman behind the desk, she could have been the owner but I don’t know, and she didn’t greet us or say a word to us while we looked around. We were the only people in the small store and she just sat there reading. I looked at the cookbooks and the majority of them are very easily purchased at every bookstore in the world… for much less money. A few of the vintage cookbooks were interesting. The store offers very few items for very high prices, which means it can’t possibly appeal to most people. I didn’t find anything I wanted and felt unwelcome.

I simply love vintage household goods, kitchen equipment, cooking and cookbooks so I’m glad to welcome this carefully and lovingly designed store into the South End. The classes sound like great fun and a perfect complement to the retail stock and I hope to take one soon!
An aside… A note to naysayers who complain about trendy new South End shops… I remember when the South End was rundown, dirty and downright scary. I applaud the people who are willing to take a risk and invest their money in creating small businesses here (like the owner of this shop). I think there is now a healthy mix of businesses to attract most residents in the South End. There is plenty of room for everyone’s needs, financial means and tastes.

I get it. The south end is gentrifying at an absolutely accelerating rate and to keep up with the bougie strolling-​pushing elite in the neighborhood, this place will fit right in. Not sure how one can really say it’s popular already, as every time I pass by there (daily on my walk home from work) there never seems to be anyone frequenting the space. But I tend to stay out of the neighborhood on weekends; so I could be wrong.
I get the appeal of the store, it’s minimalism to the bone, vintage to the core, maybe a smart business move as who knows if this store will fare well against other shops in the neighborhood (those aligning Union Park). I get the appeal of some of the items in here, but it is nothing new or exciting to bring into business these days. I feel stores like this have come and gone, as the appeal is unique but I do not see many of similar stores surviving. I also find this store not very shopper friendly; it seems more staged for photo-​ops than anything else.
The space has been transformed into something beautiful, compared to what was there before. I commend the effort. Intrigued by the first Unilocal as to cooking classes; hopefully they can compete with STIR at a much more reasonable and less-​bougie price point.

This gorgeous kitchenware and vintage giftshop is nestled in the South End by Coppa and proving to be quite popular with its neighbors. The store still smells new from opening this week and owner Abby Ruettgers is the only staff member, which means awesome customer service and the chance to chat with her about her shop and the items for sale.
The upstairs is full of elegant glassware, vintage cookbooks and high-​end kitchen items like handcrafted chopping boards and handsewn aprons. I was tickled by some of the more risqué drinking vessels — Japanese ceramic mugs depicting strippers in various stages of undress and glasses with pinup beauties. These would make awesome gifts.
The downstairs is a kitchen/​dining area where cooking classes will be held. Abby is also working on offering to rent it out for private events.
Farm & Fable is a unique addition to Boston and a lovely place in which to browse. I’m looking forward to seeing a larger range of gifts and checking out the cooking class schedule once the website is functional.