Earth Fare Opens in Indiana – GIVEAWAY!

Central Indiana is home to a fare share of health food stores and specialty markets, however the news Earth Fare was opening a location on the north side of Indianapolis sent many of us foodies into a tizzy. Earth Fare is out of North Carolina and the location opening Wednesday, November 7th at Hamilton Town Center is the first location in Indiana for the chain. Think Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Fresh Market.

I had the chance to get a sneak peek yesterday with Sara and to say I was impressed is an understatement. Earth Fare has a Food Philosophy which they stand by for every product in their store. No high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, no bleached or bromated flour, no artificial fats or artificial trans fats, no artificial sweeteners, no antibiotics in meat or dairy, no artificial colors, and no artificial preservatives. Whew!  They also offer free butchering, seafood preparation and fromage (cheese) services.

I really liked Earth Fare’s policy to sample anything in the store. You want to try something? Flag down an employee. They’ll open anything up and let you try it. I was also blown away by the wellness section. It had over a dozen sample sizes and travel sizes (hello stocking stuffers!) of cool products that are perfect for those of us who hate makeup, lotions and soaps made withe chemicals. They also carry my favorite soda, DRY Soda, the first store in the state to do so.

Earth Fare also believes in being a part of the community. Each Thursday night, they host Family Dinner Night from 4-8pm. We’ll be checking it out this week with Holly while I stock up on Throat Coat, fancy shaped pastas, cheese, pickles, and more.

By far, the coolest thing I saw setting Earth Fare apart from the local competition is the Ravioli Case. I’ve never seen a frozen bulk ravioli case before. You can mix and match as much or as little as you want into a container. I can’t wait to try them all.

Now this is where I typically go into beer and wine selection, but unfortunately, Earth Fare has to wait for Hamilton County to issue a permit. Trust me, I’ll be the first one in line when it’s available.

Earth Fare $50 Gift Card Giveaway

Here’s the fun part, I have a $50 gift card to giveaway to one lucky reader! Here’s how to win:

• Leave a comment (with a valid email address) sharing your favorite health food store food product
• Like Earth Fare’s Noblesville FaceBook Page (leave an additional comment to qualify)
• Follow Earth Fare Noblesville on Twitter (leave an additional comment to qualify)

I’ll pick a lucky winner at random on Friday November 9th, 2012 at noon EST. (If you want to double down on winning, head on over to Solid Gold Eats for Sara’s review and Ann-Marie’s Chaos is Bliss for additional giveaways. Score!)

*Disclosure: Earth Fare contacted me about a tour of their new facility in Noblesville, Indiana and provided me with the gift card for a giveaway. All views expressed in this post are my own.