Mariann’es Kitchen

Marianne’s Kitchen

3600 Lexington AV N,Shoreview, MN 55126

Marianne's Kitchen is grounded in community, caring family, heartfelt conversation and good food. Linda Grohoski and Anne Leeper both spent time in Linda's aunt's kitchen in West St. Paul where conversations always started with "how are you?" With that question we can all begin to help other people in our lives.

Fifteen years ago Linda, Anne and Thomas began selling honey as founding members of the Shoreview Farmer's Market after beekeeper husband John set 500 pounds of honey buckets in the kitchen. The fledgling market and customers benefited from their expansion of products to include fresh vegetables, preserves, jams, soup mixes and baked goods. In not too many years Linda's time over the canning stove reached a practical limit. A better solution was needed.

After considerable research on commercial canning options a partnership was created with a wonderful rural community-based non-profit kitchen. With fully licensed staff and direct professional supervision of the commercial kitchen, adult workers with disabilities are given work opportunities, income and life skills in food preparation and preservation. We've watched the work in process and it's like Marianne's Kitchen. They care about each other. The partnership has kept alive Linda's aunt's memory of helping those close to you, celebrating skills and interests and making friends in the community.

Every jar of jam or pickles with the Marianne's Kitchen label reminds us of that small West St. Paul kitchen where we shared laughs and tears and now we are reminded, too, of the wonderful workers given the opportunity to have meaningful jobs. We remain committed to that memory, those opportunities and the community that comes into our kitchen where we will undoubtedly ask "how are you today," sincerely thank you and say goodbye with "come see us again!"

Anne Leeper & Linda Grohoski