January 29, 2026
By Clinton Kelly
Photographs by Ryan Lavine
For the most part, this particular reader’s choice is not to leave my house in Kent. But when I do, I rely on a small group of people who keep me fed, watered, and often quite inspired. Without them, I probably would have starved to death years ago. Or, at the very least, hosted some very sad dinner parties. So I asked them two simple questions: What’s their favorite thing they sell, and what’s their favorite thing to buy in Kent. I’ll start each stop with mine.
At 109 Cheese, owned by Monica Brown, I find weekly solace from the world’s woes in a big wedge of Colston Bassett Stilton from Neal’s Yard Dairy. Literal heaven. When I ask Monica her fave, she says, “They’re like my children! I could never pick a favorite.” When pressed, she admits that she takes great pride in her homemade soups, especially Rhoda’s Chicken Soup, her mother-in-law’s recipe. “Homey and delicious,” she says. “Fresh parsley. Local free-range chickens. Broth from scratch.” Her personal favorite thing to buy in Kent? “Stacy’s cinnamon rolls over at SoDelicious Homemade Bakery. They’re phenomenal, not too sweet and nicely balanced.”
From Conundrum Farm, operated by Sarah Lang, I am not so patiently waiting for my favorite thing she grows: Strawberries! Is it June yet? Not even close. Sarah’s favorite thing to sell is heirloom tomatoes, which she introduced this year with playful descriptions. “Basically a dating profile for tomatoes,” she says. “It was a joy to watch people read the cards.” Her favorite thing to buy in Kent is Conundrum Red from Kent Wine & Spirit. “Ira didn’t know my farm was called Conundrum Farm,” she says. “We laughed, and that bottle has been at many farm dinners since.”
Speaking of … at Kent Wine & Spirit, owned by Ira Smith, I love Angel’s Envy Finished Rye for making a scrumptious Manhattan, and I’m also disproportionately happy when he’s got my favorite Sancerre on sale (Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy). Ira loves Champagne and dry rosé, but what really excites him is the aperitif world. “That includes all manner of vermouth, bitters, and amaros,” he says. His current obsession is Atamán Original Vermut. “Tamarind, orange, coriander, brioche—it’s all there.” He shops at Terston and admits, “For some reason, I keep buying glass pitchers for margaritas. I have an addiction.”
At House of Books, managed by Ben Rybeck, I’m as likely to leave with a greeting card as I am a novel. Their card selection makes me want to start my own greeting card company. (I won’t.) Ben is quick to point out that what they really sell isn’t books at all. “You’re selling the vibe, the curation,” he says. “We’re a smarty-pants bookstore that doesn’t take itself too seriously.” His favorite thing to buy in Kent is pecorino and parmesan from 109 Cheese. “It works out because I can take a walk down the block and get some exercise before I buy cheese.”
Across the street is Terston, owned by Geraldine Woodruff, where I’m partial to the Hester & Cook paper placemats, an easy way to make an ordinary meal feel special. Geraldine’s favorite things to sell revolve around fabric. “I’m drawn to texture and color,” she says. “Our table linens are hand block-printed in India, each one a small work of art.” When she shops in Kent, she heads right back to House of Books. “I can’t imagine Kent without a bookshop,” she says, “or me without a book always close at hand.”
And finally, Woodford’s General Store, owned by Terry Crowe Deegan (currently in a temporary location above House of Books after a fire behind her usual spot). I’ve been saved more than once by a key lime pie from High 5 Pies pulled from her freezer when I’ve realized—too late—that dessert is expected. I’m also powerless around Feridies Virginia peanuts. Dangerous, in the best way. Terry’s favorite thing to sell is the Bird Collection from Tivoli Tile Works. “Caroline Wallner hand-throws, hand-glazes, and hand-paints each piece,” she says. “They’re inspired by the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley and bring joy to all who receive them.”
