Larder And Cupboard

If you’re looking for some exposure to a range of palatable delicacies, you will find that here. The products they carry are unique and mostly local. You’re not going to leave with your entire grocery list checked off, but you will find a couple of unique flavors that would make a great gift for someone or just treat yo self. I bought a sampler of some bourbon salts and sugars, bourbon barrel aged Worcestershire sauce, wild elderberry shrub syrup and a cold ginger beer to drink on the way out the door. I spent a considerable amount of time mulling over each product that they carried because of the distinctive flavors. «Hmm, what could I use this for?» Is a question I asked myself frequently. As a cook, my creativity wheels were churning and burning. They did have a cheese maker from Indiana that was providing cheese samples and he was very nice to talk to. Overall, I felt a great sense of «foodie culture» at this store and it’s a place I would want to return to just to meet other foodie peeps.

Larder and Cupboard is literally the perfect specialty foods shop for gifts or that something to impress guests. They don’t have a huge selection but they DO have a great one. First off, great location. Right in the middle of Maplewood? Couldn’t have asked for a better location.
Next up, I love the space it’s in. It kind of feels like you’re in a big kitchen or something. It’s unique and is the perfect little shop.
Lastly, it has so many unique gifts made in or near Missouri. They have cheeses, meats, coffee, bloody marry mixes, kitchen supplies, chocolates, and much more! I came here to get my coworker a gift. That gift included goat cheese, a cheeseboard, and some Bloody Mary mix from Larder and Cupboard.
I can’t wait to come back next time I need to entertain or impress.

The last time that I went there, they didn’t have the item that I wanted, and the man who worked there wasn’t very much help. He really needs to work on his customer service skills. I was not pleased.

A great addition to the Maplewood boutique shops along Manchester and Sutton! I’m a little surprised by all the reviewers who take issue with the use of space in this delightful gourmet shop — it’s not supposed to be Schnucks! The shop also does tastings, and for that, they need the open space and the great farmhouse table off to one side. I really hope the Larder and Cupboard does well because they fill a wonderful niche in Maplewood. And really, not every shop needs to be packed to the gills like Costco — this is a slow, high-​quality, low-​volume concept store. The logistics of stocking hundreds of artisan cheeses would be a nightmare, so the store stocks what the shopping community can handle. Perfectly reasonable.
What the shop does, they do exceedingly well. They know a lot about each individual product, its origins, and the people who make it. The fresh cheese seasoned with nettles from Green Dirt Farm (in Weston MO) is decadently delicious, the pickled okra is phenomenal … and I suspect the buyers for this shop are very selective about the items they decide to stock because almost everything is top notch. (I say «almost» because I haven’t tried everything.)
True, the items are pricey, but as an avid home-​canner, I know only too well the cost involved in creating really good preserved food. $ 13.00 for a jar of pickled okra? Not so far off base … try doing it at home. The spices alone will cost you more than that. Really. Good ingredients are expensive, and everything in this shop is the best quality.
I’m least impressed with the coffee (Stringbean) sold at Larder and Cupboard — it’s personal taste, I know, but I’m a bigger fan of Northwest and Kaldi’s. If you are too, then skip the [tasteless] coffee and go straight to the cheese counter, or try some of the heavenly preserves, both sweet and savory, that the shop has to offer.
Unless you’re Warren Buffett, you probably can’t afford to do your weekly grocery shopping at the Larder and Cupboard, but if you buy one thing a week, you’ll enjoy it very much and you’ll be giving yourself a lovely treat — not to mention helping to support small Missouri businesses. And did I mention that the store interior is just beautiful? If I had floors like that in my house, I wouldn’t pack the rooms with stuff either… I’d just sit around and enjoy them! (I was tempted to take my shoes off on entering!)
If you like Winslow’s Home but wish there were more room inside, you’re going to love the Larder and Cupboard.

I really like this store – it has such a great collection of local items from all over the Midwest. It’s perfect for getting a gift for out-​of-​town visitors or just foodie friends. I want to try one of everything!
It’s a bit pricy but that’s also not really a surprise considering what they have, which are really unique products.
They also could stock more stuff, they certainly have the space for it.
I hope they get a bit more traffic since it’s always a bit quiet when I step in and I hope they succeed. It’s always fun to step in and try something random. The maple cube is especially intriguing…

True to its mission, they have an eclectic mix of stuff that you can’t get at other places. I picked up 4 syrups and they were fantastic — made great bases for drinks. There is not a huge selection, but the quality of the things I purchased was very good.

This is truly a unique and distinctive store. We first visited the store back at the Christmas Tree Walk night and fell in love. From selling locally produced cheese and meat to different kitchen tools, L & C has great gift ideas for practically anyone, especially if you are buying for a foodie. They are always sampling something new each time we go in and the staff is incredibly friendly. If you are looking for an out of the box gift idea, come check out Larder and Cupboard in Maplewood.

Adorable store, half-​full of great items. I’m really glad that they joined the Maplewood group of shops because it’s wonderful to see so many local and handmade items on display. The person manning the register was very friendly and helpful. The products range from specialty syrups for cocktails to pastas from Pastaria to local cheese. These would make perfect holiday gifts or add to your holiday gift basket.
Like the other reviews noted, the really strange thing about this place is that it’s half-​full and the product display isn’t ideal. They only need half of the space they’re renting– in fact, there’s a storefront not too far away that looks perfect. I think the store is unique and a much needed addition to the area, but I’m concerned that the price-​point and overhead may be too much for the business to sustain itself.

The different reviews for this place are pretty accurate. I think what you are expecting when you go in is what will determine how much you like this place.
If you’re expecting cheap goods, you won’t like it.
If you’re expecting shelf after shelf of different stuff, you won’t like it.
If you’re coming in looking for something specific without knowing they have it, you probably won’t like it either.
But… if you’re looking for a variety of unique, local goods, and are willing to pay to experience it, and just want to experience something new… this is a 4 star place.
I agree that it looks empty — it is a huge place. But I’d rather have a smaller selection of fresh goods than a cramped space. The space allows them to set up tables for samples, unique displays, etc. This real estate is unique — I’m sure part of the reason it was rented. There aren’t a lot of store fronts available on this strip.
I got a few really unique and cute stocking stuffers here before Christmas. All were a huge hit! They were pricey, but worth it.
I’m sure they will evolve to carry even more desirable goods in the future, as they evolve and find out what customers like.
Definitely worth a stop if you want a unique foodie experience in Maplewood.

I am coming out of Unilocal Retirement to write a review of Larder & Cupboard.
In short, I will summarize my review in a single word: «Disappointing.» I know that clashes with the star rating I’m giving them, but please read on.
So, every Christmas, I usually buy a subset of my relatives a gift basket that typically contains food items. Honestly, most years I go to HomeGoods for this purpose. The baskets have broad appeal and are reasonably priced. So, when I read about this new Larder & Cupboard place, I thought I’d check it out to see if I could make some gift baskets from their products… And maybe try some things out for myself as well.
Walking in, I noticed that the place was not stocked phenomenally well. There were shelves against the walls and a few table displays, but they could fit a lot more in the store. They’re new, though, so I can’t hold it against them.
But it quickly became apparent that I would not be getting any Christmas shopping done. While I might be interested in making a faro risotto sometime, I really can’t imagine my cousin «L» (don’t want to use names of non-​Yelp users without their permission) being enthused about receiving that for Christmas. And while I am curious as hell to try okra pickled with smoked paprika, I can imagine my cousin «M» just throwing it away.
I did find some gift baskets with more accessible items, but the trend seemed to be «Imagine the highest price you’d think this gift basket would cost, and double it.» Sorry, cousins. Much as I love you all, I’m not buying each of you a $ 100 gift basket.
That was another trend I noticed. While I almost bought the aforementioned okra, I wasn’t going to pay around $ 13 for it. Other things that caught my eye also left me with sticker shock. Feeling bad about spending so much time browsing and not buying anything, I got two modestly priced items.
(EDIT: Thanks to Brian for the comments. He is correct, in that I did pick a couple of extreme prices to point out in my review. While I agree with his assessment that the average item was under $ 10, items were in general more expensive than I often assumed they would be. But it is a specialty store; you just have to keep that in mind. I think part of my problem was incorrect expectations.)
Don’t get me wrong, they have cool stuff and it generally appears to be high quality. (One exception was some frozen packages of cured meats with a packed-​on date over a year in the past. If they are actually supposed to last that long, a use-​by date would be smarter.) But that’s why I’m giving them four stars despite my lukewarm comments: I think most of my complaints are due to a mismatch between my expectations and what the store is.
The staff was friendly and knowledgeable (although I sensed one young man got in over his head when he was trying to sell up the versatility of the pickled okra), and I wish the store well. But I worry they will have a bit of trouble if they don’t broaden their appeal. You can do this while still offering quality, obscure products: Look at Penzey’s a few doors down. I can get my pepper at a reasonable price, I can get gifts for not too much money, and I can get some of the most obscure spices imaginable. And while they’re an established chain, they started somewhere.

Larder and Cupboard is another great addition to the constantly growing Maplewood community. I knew I was going to shop local this upcoming holiday, but I can now tell you the majority of my gifts will be from Larder and Cupboard. There are so many items that will be perfect for the foodie and boozer on my gift list.
My family and friends who enjoy the alcohol beverage, may be getting a gift box of bitters or a kit to create a kick ass Bloody Mary. Others may get a gift basket created with the large variety of different honey jars. My personal favorite has to be the Hot Honey, a perfect topping on cornbread or a biscuit. I can even create a condiment basket with gourmet catsup, Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and variety of mustards.
The staff is friendly and eager to assist you. As they increase their inventory, I am confident that I’ll be filling my own personal kitchen cabinets and creating several gift baskets.

Fantastic addition to Maplewood, lovely little shop with carefully selected products ranging from local cheeses to specialty syrups from Brooklyn. Wide selection of unique bitters, kitchen gadgets, sauces, and things I never even knew existed. Pretty small inventory right now but excellently curated. Great place to go for gifts.