Both of Boston’s terminal markets continue to boast a robust roster of offerings and don’t consider themselves arch rivals.
Their relationship tends to be reciprocal: if one market is running low on an item, merchants can reach out to the other to fill an order. Some merchants even operate out of both the New England Produce Center (NEPC) and the Boston Market Terminal (BMT).
When it comes to staple items such as onions, citrus, berries, melons, apples, avocados, bananas, and grapes—all are available at the BMT, along with apricots, kiwifruit, mangoes, papaya, and plums.
Vegetables range from potatoes, artichokes, beans, broccoli and asparagus to tomatoes and turnips. There’s also a selection of specialty items like coconut and jackfruit, as well as Asian vegetables including bamboo shoots, bitter melon, bok choy, and Chinese cabbage.
Not to be outdone, the NEPC offers a similar lineup, with its own array of specialty fruits and vegetables. Anthony Sharrino is president of Eaton & Eustis Company and deals in significant volume in garlic, onions, and dried fruit. He confirms a spike in demand for an evolving list of specialty items.
“I think the ethnic mix in this country is changing, and this creates more demand for specialty items,” Sharrino says, adding that despite interest in and expanding demand for so many other types of fruits and vegetables, onions remain his top seller. He’s also seen rising interest in figs and dates, which he characterizes as “healthy food,” with more customers seeking them out and appreciating year-round supply.
Peter John Condakes, president of Peter Condakes Company Inc., a tenant at both the NEPC and BMT, says his “best business” is also in vegetables, particularly leafy greens such as arugula and the often lesser-known watercress.
“Those have really bloomed for us in terms of packages, particularly for restaurant and institutional use,” he says.
This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.
