So, I don't think I've mentioned Larson's Big Star.
I avoided Larson's Big Star for six months before I finally went in there. Driving by it frequently, I didn't even realize that it was a grocery store. Despite the lettering next to the sign, "Deli, Seafood, Bakery," as far as I could tell, that sign was all part of the Fred's next door. (And I have yet to set foot in Fred's.) So basically, I had no idea what the Big Star was selling.
I have, perhaps unfairly, neglected the Big Star, and as part of my New Year's resolution - I intend to make up for that mistake. I want to support my neighbors, the small businesses in Oxford, and according to one employee at Larson's Big Star, another employee has been working there for 37 years. So the Big Star, in fact, preceeds the Kroger AND the Walmart. It may be the oldest, "mom and pop" style grocery store left standing amongst the few retail giants.
This quote from insiderpages.com:
Big Star is the only locally-owned and operated grocery store in Oxford, and their commitment to great service and low prices is a testament to that. Always interested in the community, the store donates to many fundraisers and allows bake sales and other fundraising events to take place on the premises. They also have the best hot lunch in town, bar none. Excellent store.
If you're looking for organic options - the Big Star is not the place to find them. As far as I can tell, they do not carry any organic foods. They do offer the Greenworks brand of cleaners, but that seems to be all. For the past week, the Big Star has had a sale on the Kretchmar brand of Virginia Ham - $2.96 a lb. Head over there to get your deli on!
If you are spending a fortune on chips, crackers and other snacks for your family like I am, and your family does not care about organic brands or even name brands for that matter - you have just struck gold at the Big Star. They carry the Always Save brand, and literally everything is 99 cents. For the same NET WT you would pay close to $3.00 - you can get "cheese crackers" or "wheat crackers" for the same price. I cannot review a taste test for all of the Always Save products that I buy, because I do not eat them - but I have tried the "wheat crackers" and to me, they taste exactly like Wheat Thins.
In the local weekly magazines in Oxford, you will sometimes see a big ad for the Big Star, boasting the best lunch plate in town. They do have a full service deli and lunch bar, serving up what looks like your standard greasy delights: fried chicken, potato wedges and mac&cheese. It all looks delicious for what it is, but I have yet to try it. I am actually much more taunted by the 99 cent cake table.
This cake table may be the demise of my #2 New Year's resolution one day, but the styrofoam packaging is a big turn-off for me. This cake table will be comepletely cleared after lunch, and the little ladies behind the cake counter will no doubt begin refilling this station for the dinner rush. The Big Star has their own little eat-in area at the front of the store, and they have an entire shelf of tall styrofoam cups containing iced tea, strategically placed at the end of the lunch counter, just after the cake display, so one might grab a tall tea on their way to pay for the lunch plate. I've been there once at lunch time, and I've seen the line to get a lunch plate, so it must be good!If you are new to Oxford, and are concerned that Kroger and Walmart are your only grocery options, fear not! My personal favorite is the Farmers Market, located at 274 County Road 101. If that place sold toilet paper and deli meat, I would never shop anywhere else. But, you can't always get what you want. So you get what you need - and don't forget to patronize Larson's Big Star - they've got everything you might buy at Walmart or Kroger at comparable prices. They are also frequently less crazy at rush times than Kroger or Walmart.
Larson's Big Star of Oxford, Mississippi
1936 University Ave Oxford, MS 38655
(662) 234-3217
1 comment:
Big Star has started to carry organic products called Clearly Organic (made by Best Choice). I don't know how green-washed this product is (probably a lot), but it's a start. I know this line carries milk and lots of varieties of pasta (most of which are whole wheat). Big Star also has both regular and whole wheat orzo pasta (an elusive ingredient in Oxford). They also stock some Bottle Tree Bakery breads after the bakery closes.
I didn't know what Big Star was for a long time either; if you're from the community you definitely do, but it's not particularly common for students to shop there. I think it's because it's so old-fashioned. I was an integral part of getting a campus green group off the ground a few years back, and I think there would be more student support for Big Star if they would update a little. The students who are taking their own grocery bags to the store and looking for local ingredients are, for the most part, the ones that want to support local businesses, but I don't think they know about Big Star or may not feel like they would have what they want. I think a little greening and modernizing would go a long way in attracting the local college students. (Although that may not be something they are dying to do; it does seem very Oxford community-centric.)
Regardless, it is a good grocery store and I will continue to shop there (and of course the Farmers' Market!) as well as the occasional trip to Kroger and Walmart. I will also continue to take my reusable bags in and hope that one day I get a discount.
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