Kerrigan's Market and Deli Fills a Business Need and Hearty Appetites in Northeast Kingdom, Vermont

Article and photo by Eric H., at VisitingNewEngland.com

When Kerrigan's Market and Deli opened in late December 2007, its presence created an immediate benefit for locals wanting made-from-scratch, take-out food within a close distance of home.

Located in sparsely-populated, scenic West Burke, VT, and surrounded by other beautifully, isolated "Northeast Kingdom" mountain communities, Kerrigan's Market and Deli is not your basic, modern-day, hermetically-sealed, big-soft drink mini-mart. Owner Judi Kerrigan says that "everything here is made from scratch." Opening early with the Vermont mountain sunrise and closing late at night with the chilly high elevation air, Kerrigan's offers homemade salads, pizzas, subs, wraps and a special pulled pork sandwich that is baked for six hours with a special rub -- then hand-pulled and topped with Kerrigan's "special" barbecue sauce. The steak and cheese is also a favorite with shaved black angus steak mounded with grilled onions and green peppers and cheese with mayo or mustard. Kerrigan's also features cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, donuts and cakes, once again all made on the premises. Kerrigan's also sells beer and wine.

"In today's rush-rush society, we felt a need to serve food made from scratch, and close to home," says Kerrigan. "For many people around here, it was 15 miles to another pizza place. By the time you brought the pizza home, it was all cold and hard. Our food is all fresh, and close to home. People are sincerely appreciative of our business and have embraced it since we opened."

Kerrigan's is purely a family business with Judi, husband David, daughters Keri, Ashley, Melanie, Jennifer and Judi's Mom working at the market. There's a country feel to the store, where people come in, order, sit in chairs, relax, and enjoy local conversations.

The Kerrigan's new business is not only a big hit with the local population, but also provides a valuable service to those visitors traveling for the fall foliage season, skiing during the winter at Burke Mountain and hiking at Mt Pigsah or swimming at pristine Lake Willoughby during the summer.

For the Kerrigans, the business is a dream-come-true.

"I spent years making money for everyone else," said Kerrigan. "We felt is was time to do something for us. We're doing just that and creating a business that our customers have really enjoyed."

Kerrigan's Market and Deli
Open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.-9p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-8p.m.
4080 US Route 5
West Burke, VT
Tel. 802-467-8800