White Hart Provisions

By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo

“Would you like a homemade soda?” is a question I have been asked zero times in my life, but that offering, and other nostalgic touches, is what welcomed me to White Hart Provisions in Salisbury last week.

Stepping into the new general store and café at the rear of the White Hart Inn is like stepping back in time. The sides of the store are lined with timeless dry goods items that could have graced the shelves of any New England general store in 1950, or 1890 for that matter. Faribault wool blankets, metal keepsake boxes, handmade brooms, wooden boomerangs, yo-yos, woven picnic baskets and bicycle bells are just a few of the throwback items for sale.

A deli counter in the back is fronted by a large rectangular table with seating for 10, and three intimate tables for two line the southern exposure of the store (one with a chess board at the ready). Should seating fill up inside the store, you can spill out to a shaded outdoor sitting area with Adirondack chairs or into the recently refurbished sitting rooms of the inn.

White Hart Provisions opened just six weeks ago but looks like it’s been there for decades. It is currently only open Friday through Monday, but the store’s manager, Lucas Smith, guarantees it will eventually be open seven days a week. Smith is the one responsible for the homemade soda, changing the flavor regularly. The day I was there, it was carrot apple, and possibly the most refreshing drink I’ve had all summer. Smith is also responsible for the signature White Hart blend of Six Depot coffee for sale by the bag or the cup.

The atmosphere at the store is about as classic a New England experience as any general store could hope for, with its reclaimed floor boards, primitive furniture and bright, cheerful color scheme. The store’s designer, Megan Wilson, owns Ancient Industries in West Cornwall. She travels all over the states and Europe in search of companies producing goods that have stood the test of time, but the British influence in the Salisbury locale is utmost, which is likely no accident as the head chef at the White Hart, Annie Wayte, hails from London.

For those familiar with Wayte’s cooking, it will come as no surprise that the food at White Hart Provisions is not exactly standard fare. The deli case is packed with various salads and pre-made sandwiches that taste like they were made to order. I had a hard time choosing between the beet sandwich with eggs, feta, fennel and black olives on homemade focaccia, the smoked turkey with cheddar, sprouts, tomato and chipotle aioli mayo or the roast beef with watercress, crispy shallots and tomato. Safe to say, you can’t go wrong. White Hart Provisions also offers dinner items to-go like slow cooked salmon with lime, a whole roasted chicken and lamb tagine.

And there is no shortage of baked goods. Pastry Chef Gabby Rios is hard at work on croissants, scones, cakes, brownies and cookies. The salted chocolate chunk cookie is worth the trip alone. “I hear such good feedback on this place,” one local remarked to the woman behind the counter. Well deserved, indeed.

White Hart Provisions is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.