Parting is such sweet sorrow. The Sweetness of fond memories overlaid with the Sorrow that no more moments will be had.
It is with such that we are announcing the end of our time here in this historic spot and will be closing our doors at the Canterbury Country Store by the end of January. We truly hope that this is a temporary move and that someone else will step up and step into our shoes at this updated place we have created.
WHY?!!!
When we have had so much fun and you have been streaming in?
As it turns out, you didn’t really need a grocery store.
You have LOVED our bakery goods and prepared foods; but not so much the groceries.
You have LOVED the artisan wares; but not too many groceries.
You have loved the large gathering space for your meetings and art shows; but the groceries…not much.
And you have loved the routine of your morning coffee and your visits with friends and the ease of picking up your mail.
BUT…
… a cafe we are not; we are a grocery store. And a grocery store is not a grocery store without the sales of groceries and a general country store is not a general store with sales in only a couple categories.
We get it, we really do. Things are tight and why buy something here when you can get it at Market Basket for less just minutes away? And you have your favorite brands that we may not carry or cannot get access to. And you shop the Coop so just grab what you need there. And DoorDash is convenient. We were trying to walk the tight rope to give you what you need while offer you things that maybe you didn’t need but were surprised to find. It just seems that all lumped together you would prefer to shop elsewhere for most all your grocery needs.
No hard feelings.
And while many folks from out of town travel here for those grocery surprises, the overhead of keeping such a large space open to sell to a few does not cost out. And only selling baked goods, sandwiches and prepared meals cannot support the overhead either.
Let us say that there have always been the loyal few that recognized the need to support a store by spending here and there on grocery items to keep it going for the town. THANK YOU to all of you! The town has cherished your efforts and we recognized it too.
You need to know that we did not do the store to line our pockets. There was a realistic expectation that it never could pay a large wage. It was our intention to shape the space and pave the way for future businesses. We did this for you but for now we cannot sustain the effort. Thank you for your patronage and for the opportunity to serve you these last 2 1/2 years.
Jane and Dave
If you or someone you know would like to be the next owner/operator, please reach out to our Landlords, your Canterbury Community Market LLC, to discuss this. And we would be more than happy to help you shape a plan and get started.
The place is fully equipped and we have additional equipment, store operating manuals and prepared food & bakery recipes that we could pass on to you. What will it be next?!!!
Contact LLC: canterburycommunitymarketllc@gmail.com
Contact Dave and Jane: canterburynhcs@gmail.com
This BLOG will continue for the near future and stay tuned for where it will go from here.
Please leave your comments.
Canterbury Country Store 
Oh my gosh. So sad. You really have crafted, created and fostered a beautiful thing at the store❤️ I can’t imagine a town center without it. Praying for a good path forward for the store. 🙏🏻
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Thank for loving what we did. So sad too but it was a good ride. Thanks for being there with us!
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Love you guys. Praying for you, whatever the future holds. 🙏❤️🫂
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thank you so very much. ox
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Wow, such a surprise! Nothing here but gratitude and appreciation for everything you’ve done. Canterbury has been blessed by your extreme efforts and love.
Thanks for your clear explanation of how it is and why you have to move on. We’ll just have to hope there’s a workable solution.
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Thank you for your kind words. Yes let’s keep our minds open!
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NOOOO!!! I visited from NJ and fell in love with your store in March 2025 (and your delicious muffins, which I would gladly order to have shipped to me). I was looking forward to coming back for another visit this spring. So sad to hear about this!
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We are so disappointed ourselves and loved that you came to us. Lets hold the good memories and hope we meet again!
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Oh Noooooo!!! I’m so sorry to hear this!!!
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Oh Jane and Dave, I’m so sorry. I live in NY Hudson Valley but my Mom, Linda, lives in Concord. I think you know her. Both of us love coming in and shopping in your store. I love the joys of little discoveries and how you brought the community together it has been a huge effort and sacrifice on your part. I will be so sad to see you go. Thank you so very much for creating a space and a grocery for us to enjoy, the food, the companionship and your creativity. I’ll stop by in January before you close to say good bye. Big hug, Amy
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Thank you Amy. We always looked forward to your visits and will remember you dearly. We will see you this month sometime and thank you!
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Thanks Jane! I’ll look forward to seeing you this month. Thank you again! Amy
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This space, with your vision, has become such a Community Center! Warm and welcoming, full of interesting people and things-not to forget the delicious edibles! It will be a huge loss-but certainly understandable.
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thank so much for your kind words; means a lot.
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Thank you for all you two have done to try to make the Store viable! All that I have heard from a distance has been happy and hopeful.
If only folks would remember when they get into a car that 70 cents a mile plus wasted time and pollution counts for a lot. As Joni Mitchell’s lyrics prophecy: “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone….”
I’m adding prayers for a continued future for the Canterbury Country Store!
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So beautifully said and thank you for recognizing it all. Gratitude!
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For several years my life has been balanced between the good life here in Canterbury, and the disorder and destruction cascading out of D.C. The good works created by Jane and Dave have meant more than I realized in keeping my balance in the positive realm. Hoping for you, All Good Things.
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We are feeling grateful for your words and so happy that we could have provided this for you. Wishing you the same of all good things.
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