Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Glenn's Bulk Foods

Last weekend, we drove to Hutch to see Kim and Bob and their family. We hadn't seen them since sometime last fall and we were long over due a visit. One of our favorite shops to visit with Bob and Kim in the area is Glenn's Bulk Foods, just west of Hutch on Highway 50.

Glenn's caters primarily to the Amish and Mennonite populations that are prolific around that area. We like it because we like a full pantry and it's much cheaper to buy in bulk. Now, Glenn's isn't like Costco or Sam's. They only sell bulk foods--as in spices, dried fruits and veggies, pantry staples, some frozen fruits and veggies and even some locally made cheese and butter.

Our primary objective was to stock up on some spices, as we'll be butchering at least 4 pigs in February. Those spices we bought will be used for Brats and sausage. I also nabbed other spices that we use a lot of--like chile powder and poppy seeds. I got a nice big tub of poppy seeds for $3.00. It's probably double the quantity of what you buy for the same or more money at the grocery store at a much higher quality.

We also bought a four pound bag of oatmeal for $4.00, a five pound bag of blueberries for $15.00 and a 50 lb bag of Hudson Cream Flour. Hudson Cream Flour is all I use and it's a Kansas product. I paid $18.79 for 50 lbs of flour which figures out to be $.37 a pound. CHEAP.

It's funny, when I buy 25 lbs of flour at the grocery store, someone always comments that they don't do that much baking...but no one batted an eye at Glenn's. To them, it was just another typical sale.

When we got home, I discovered that I already had a 25 lb. bag of flour in the freezer. So, I now have 75 lbs of flour. Since we're getting ready to butcher beef this weekend, I knew that I needed to get my flour out of the freezer. I gathered up all my large Tupperware canisters and started filling them. I only needed 8 canisters for my 75 lbs of flour. I was very happy and surprised that I had enough bug-safe storage for all my flour. Now to find time to bake bread again!

We probably spent an hour in Glenn's looking at everything. It totally amazes me what all you can buy in bulk for your pantry. Glenn's Bulk Foods...one of my favorite stores.

3 comments:

agent713 said...

We have a large Old Order Mennonite (like Amish) population around here so there's lots of these stores. I love them! The only thing that throws me off is that most of the ones that are operated by the Mennonites only accept cash!

Debbie M. said...

I just found this site on the internet as I am making my list as I will be visiting with family in a couple of weeks and need to refill my pantry. My mother and sister found Glenn's many years back and we have all bought our pantry items here. I have not bought spices or herbs for a number of years. I have spread the word in Wichita. Can you tell me where more such stores are in the area? I have just recently retired and saving money is always appreciated. Since we go by many of these communities to see family, it is not out of the way.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone mentioned the roll butter? It is FABULOUS! The half pound bags are handy - already measured for a batch of cookies! The flavor can't be beat!