Upscale country general store opens

By TOM KANE

BARRYVILLE — Scott Newkirk, who has a weekend place near Barryville, used to shop in New York City first before driving up for the weekend.

“I would bring up the foods and other items I liked because I couldn’t get them up here,” he said.

Then, since he knew he was not alone, he got the idea of opening a specialized store where these items would be sold locally. The store is on Route 97 north of the Barryville Bridge.

The Mississippi native named his store Kudzu. “Kudzu is the name of a creeping green vine-like plant, originally from Japan, that you see all over the south,” he said.

“This isn’t a health food store,” Newkirk said. “It’s a lot more than that.”

Most of his food stuffs, although not all, are organic.

On the shelves are items such as organic milk, artisan breads, greens from Berried Treasures in Falls Church, NY, pies from Middletown, bamboo furniture, hand-made bird houses by Chuck Fredericks, old Chatham cheeses, organic sodas, cherry-wood kitchen utensils, linen table cloths and an assortment of soaps and candles.

“It’s like an old-fashioned general store with a little bit of everything,” Newkirk said. “I think the store is catching on with many of the full-time residents,” as well as his original weekenders target, he said.

As the harvesting season arrives in late July and August, Kudzu will carry vegetables from the local farms.

“I try to buy everything locally whenever I can,” he said.

Kudzu is open from Thursday to Sunday. Hours are: Thursday from 12:00 noon to 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For more information call 845/557-0080.