Stowe market drops Boar’s Head, causing consternation

Holden also said Boar’s Head accommodates his gluten allergy, which some lunchmeat brands do not, and that he is from Long Island, N.Y — the brand originated in Brooklyn. Though he’s a longtime shopper at the market and has some affection for its employees, he will no longer shop there due to this change.

Mike Violette — CEO of Associated Grocers of New England, the co-op that purchased the Mac’s Market in Stowe along with other locations in Vermont — confirmed that the grocer planned to stop selling Boar’s Head, switching instead to Dietz & Watson deli products.

Violette declined to get into specifics about what factors led to the brand change, but the two competing deli brands, primarily distributors of meats and cheeses, have a history of jockeying for space in the display case.

Though it started in New York around the turn of the 20th century, Boar’s Head shifted its headquarters to Sarasota, Fla., in 2001 and is available in almost every state after following a pattern of growth propelled by aggressive distribution strategies.

Philadelphia-based Dietz & Watson, Boar’s Head’s primary competitor and, by many accounts, archrival in the deli business, has publicly taken the brand to task for these strategies. In 2009, a Dietz & Watson executive criticized Boar’s Head for forcing stores to sign exclusive contracts and pledged to never force grocery stores to enter such agreements.

Boar’s Head, with earnings of over $1 billion annually, was in the middle of an inheritance feud as recently as 2021, according to The Hill.

Along with being just as friendly to the gluten allergic as Boar’s Head, there are also competing opinions over which of the two so-called premium deli brands tastes best. Shaw’s, Stowe Village Market’s cross-town competitor, also offers Dietz & Watson products.

Instead of focusing on the changeup in the bologna brand, Violette preferred to focus on the total makeover the market is undergoing. Almost every piece of equipment and shelving will be replaced, and the co-op plans to invest heavily in overhauling the store.

“It’s just the nature of our business,” Violette said. “We can decide what’s best for the company, and we’re really looking to improve that store. From what I’ve heard, and the feedback I’ve gotten, a lot of locals are quite pleased with what we’ve done thus far.”

As some residents lost their heads over the brand change, Michael Hughes, an owner of Commodities Natural Market on Mountain Road, swooped in to make his own social media announcement.

“This week, we introduced Boar’s Head all-natural pre-sliced meats and cheeses ... our managers (and our kids) gave it two thumbs way up!” he wrote, making sure to emphasize that his high-end grocery store was locally owned.