So, I have long been a loyal Publix customer and ventured out to Ward's and elsewhere now and then for special items but Publix's prices have increased and honestly, on many things I don't find their variety that great either: they have stopped carrying my beloved Blackberry Patch Cane Syrup and and Walmart has more cake mix and icing varieties by far. Tonight I drove out to my local Hitchcock's in Newberry and really was pretty impressed.
I'd been in the Trenton Hitchcock's and some others but not Newberry before and this store is larger than I think most Hitchcock's. The deli, bakery, and meat/seafood departments did seem inferior to Publix but they had some stand-out products that interested me and overall better, lower, prices. Here's some example:
They didn't have pure cane syrup but did have at least several cane-based syrups. I bake with cane syrup and neither maple syrup nor molasses is a good substitute. They also had a better selection of molasseses, spices, extracts, and flours than Publix does. Apparently Publix believes people don't really bake these days. Well, I do, and I expect to find the ingredients I require in a grocery store.
Better selection of country-type sausages than Publix, too: a very good selection by Nettle's plus several other regional brands.
Good selection of jams, jellies, honey, pickles, and other canned/jarred items by Hitchcock's own store brand.
Good selection of Mexican food products overall.
I'll certainly be back. If people think the prices are high, not sure what they're comparing against but seem lower than Publix currently. And you can't beat the fun of finding some more "country" items like the Nettle's sausage and syrups I mentioned, either. The store is also plenty clean and pleasant enough to shop in even if not as shiny as a Publix. read more