Photograph by Vy Pham
At Taste Cellar & Pantry, you’ll not only find the perfect provisions for building a great charcuterie board, but you’ll also discover a new piece of the Ft. Thomas community. Co-owner Lauren Hodge, who, together with her husband and business partner Challis Hodge, says their latest venture is meant to be a unique shopping and community-building experience where they can share the unique stories and families behind each product they sell with their patrons.
The 1,000-square-foot shop offers curated, small-production wine and spirits, everyday essentials, hard-to-find ingredients, farm fresh produce, quality meats and seafood, dairy and eggs, chef-curated take-and-bake meals, prepared soups and salads, artisan cheeses and charcuterie, and a full selection of pantry staples.
Photograph by Vy Pham
This new venture takes the place of the couple’s previous Ludlow, Kentucky, business Taste on Elm, which closed in September after nearly six years in business. The move made sense for the Hodges, as Lauren says they fell in love with the Ft. Thomas community and people after purchasing the Grassroots & Vine restaurant in June. The market is the fourth venture by the couple’s hospitality brand, Taste Food & Wine Group.
“It was a natural fit to move Taste and become more ingrained in Ft. Thomas,” she says. “We had Taste on Elm in Ludlow for a little over five years, [but] we needed a new location with more foot traffic and this location fell into our laps—it was truly meant to be.”
Taste also carries local products from producers including Dark Wood Farm, The Empanada’s Box, St. Francis Apizza, Family Thyme, Funny Farm Coffee Company, and Yee Mama as well as organic chicken and ground beef.
Photograph by Vy Pham
The market hosts wine tastings and small events, ranging from guided tastings and producer spotlights to practical, hands-on sessions around cooking, entertaining, and building a well- stocked pantry.
“Taste Cellar & Pantry brings together everything we love about great food and wine in one place,” Lauren says. “People want high-quality ingredients, prepared foods they can trust, and access to wines that are thoughtfully chosen. Our goal is to make it easy to cook well at home, entertain with confidence, and find something new every time you walk in.”
Taste Cellar & Pantry, 16 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, (859) 916-8488
Photograph by Vy Pham
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