Bremen Market Offers Fresh Food, Produce & More
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Lamar Chupp, the owner of Amish grocery Daily Bread Market, grew up understanding the benefits of eating healthy.
“I grew up on a farm, so understanding where food came from was always a part of my life,” he says.
However, it wasn’t until he and his wife became vendors at local farmers’ markets that he really started getting involved in the health food world.
“We had an aquaponics business where we raise organic lettuce and sold it at farmers’ markets and local restaurants,” he adds. “At the farmers’ market, I was exposed to consumers looking for a healthier option.”
When the opportunity arose to buy Daily Bread Market, he took it.
“This allowed us to make our own market for our lettuce,” he says. “We grow bib lettuce, French crisp, romaine, oak leaf, leaf lettuce. Those are the main ones.”
Thanks to the way Chupp grows his lettuce, he sells it year-round.
His healthy living drive extends beyond the produce section. Throughout the store, there are several healthy food options, like kombucha, made in-house, and Zevia, a soft drink that is sweetened with sugar alternative, stevia. They’re even an authorized distributor for Trim Healthy Mama, a health and wellness advocacy plan.
Daily Bread Market has a popular in-house bakery where they make a variety of items, including cookies, regular and gluten-free granola, muffins and breads. Seasonally, they also serve pies and flavored breads, all of which are extremely popular.
“Not everything is healthy, but even in the bakery, we use whole ingredients,” Chupp says. “We use real butter to make our stuff. We don’t put preservatives in it. If you’re going to cheat, it’s as good as you’re going to get it.”
In one corner of the store is a deli bar which specializes in fresh cut sandwich meat and cheeses. However, in the next few months, Chupp is hoping to expand the meats department to periodically include fresh fish, compliments of his aquaponics set-up.
Many of the products found in the store are from small distributors. Some are from the immediate area, like the honey, most of the produce, maple syrup, and dairy products. Others are from further away, like fruits that grow in other parts of the country.
“We’ve made connections, where we can, with small orchards,” he says.
The oranges in particular come from a 10-acre farm in California. “When we get them, the leaves are still green on the oranges,” Chupp says. “He’ll call me and say, ‘Hey, we’re picking oranges, and I think the truck will leave Wednesday morning sometime.’ Within days, I have my oranges.”
Daily Bread Market is a perfect place for Chupp’s passion to influence and benefit his community.
“I think we tend to forget that we live in the greatest country on earth,” Chupp says. “We tend to pick on each other because of political affiliation or whatever. I’m fortunate to live in a little pocket of that great country where people still look out for each other. It doesn’t matter what church you go to or if you don’t go, or who your parents are or whatever. If you live close by, you’re considered a neighbor.”
What they do goes beyond providing healthy options for the body. Daily Bread Market gets to be a key component of healthy community life, too.
“A lot of times, when we get together as family or friends, we always eat. It’s part of the fabric of our culture,” he says. “To be able to provide the food for that bond that people have is pretty humbling.”
However, none of that would be possible without his staff, headed by Store Manager Katurah Hochstetler.
“We have an awesome crew. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them, not even close,” Chupp adds.
As he looks to the future, Chupp is excited about where his business is heading.
“Eventually, we’re going to outgrow this building, so we’re looking for real estate. I’m all ears for the right location,” he says. “There are a lot of products we would like to add to our selection, but we don’t have the shelf space to do it.”
Daily Bread Market is located at 4133 E. County Line Rd., Bremen. They are open 8-6 Monday through Friday and 8-3 on Saturday. To contact them or hear their weekly ad, call the store at 574-773-0303.
