Benjamin Twiggs Cherry Foods

I’ve tried several of the products at Benjamin Twiggs and still have some more to go. I won a gift box that had three kinds of cherry salsa — very good! Since then, I have been to the store a couple of times and my favorites are the dark chocolate covered cherries and a tart chewy cherry candy that I can’t stop eating once I start! Being a local business person and doing business in Traverse City, I appreciate that almost everything they sell is made in Michigan. It’s a great gift store and fun to munch on some of the samples.

Was in Traverse City on vacation, and stopped in to see what all the «cherry» craziness was about. I swear I thought I’d died and gone to heaven — they had so many fabulous items to choose from, and they had samplers out to taste different things throughout the store. The cherry sours (like sour patch kids but just cherry) were a big hit for my kids, and I ended up buying a whole set of items as an auction donation for an organization. My favorite things were beautiful stainless steel colanders with a cherry design, pancake mix with dried cherries, cherry syrup, cherry themed kitchen towels, cherry pitters (can’t wait to use this next summer!) and my all time fav — the gorgeous kitchen aprons. They were so beautiful, and they had quite a selection to pick from! I’m glad they ship, as I will definitely be buying more from this great store.

This place is pretty cool. A really wide variety of interesting items. The lady working was friendly and helpful.
Can’t wait to try the cherryaki marinade I bought! Bought a few gifts here too — like some sex jelly and cherry pepper jam. They were out of the sex wine or I would have bought that too. Yep, those are the gifts I like to give!

The best place for cherry products in northern Michigan! They have the most tender and plump dried tart cherries, perfect for baking, salads, sauces and snacking. I’ve tried all the other dried cherries sold in this area, and Twiggs has the very best around. Buy them in larger quantities for a better price, and you won’t have to wish you’d bought more once you get them home. The Cherry Butter, Cherry Apple Butter, Black Cherry Preserves, Cherry Berry Jam, Cherry Pepper Jam and Pumpkin Butter are goodies I can’t live without! The Chocolate Cherry Festival coffee is one of my favs and my dad always wants me to send it to him when he runs out. The Northwoods BBQ Sauce is my families favorite, and has also become the favorite of my brother in Texas, and considering the myriad choices he has there, that is saying something! The shop is charming, with the friendliest staff in town, greeting all the customers who come in and offering samples of fresh coffee and cherry products. You can try almost everything they sell, and I think I have. They also have cherry themed gifts and kitchen goods, as well as cute, but not cheesy, Traverse City and Michigan souvenirs. They ship everywhere in case you don’t have room in your suitcase or if you want to send goodies for the holidays. Great catalog and website make it easy to order from anywhere. I forgot to mention their Cherry Salsas! Three types, but my favorite is still the original Cherry Salsa, which is so yummy, with a little bit of heat. Make sure you ask to try this if it isn’t out. They have great parking, being located just past downtown, across from the Civic Center, which is a huge plus. This is a must stop for anyone visiting the area. It also happens to be the oldest cherry product business in Michigan.

You know, I didn’t used to care. They all tasted the same to me. I bought the everyday jam from the grocery store.
But I’ll never forget my first bite into pear cinnamon preserves. Real preserves. And then there was no going back to the grocery store bought «jam». To the sugary artificial flavor overload. No, no, I couldn’t do that. I was stuck on homemade jam. And homemade was stuck on me.
If I still lived in just down the road from Benjamin Twiggs, I would be getting my preserves from them. But since I no longer live in the area, I stop in every time I’m there and pick up some of my favorite stuff.
My favorites include the cherry salsa, the cinnamon pear preserves, and the pumpkin butter if it’s in season.
It’s worth mentioning that since Traverse City is the cherry capital of the world, you can’t go wrong with the cherry-​centric gift baskets. (Pictured in the photos.) The pancake mix was wonderful, and though cherry bbq sounds strange, it’s really something else.
Whether you’re a cherry-​holic or just want something unique from Traverse City, Benjamin Twiggs is the place for you.

Oh my word!
Pumpkin butter!
Pumpkin coffee!
SO YUMMY!
Inexpensive. Friendly. *Convincing*. This shop offers a huge selection of both cherry products and other seasonal foods and decorations that are a must have in any home.
If you’re hoping to bring the flavor of Traverse City home with you– you must, must, must stop by.