J.K. ADAMS IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO PREPARE FOR EVERY HOLIDAY PARTY.
STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY J.K. ADAMS
In honor of J.K. Adams’ landmark 80th anniversary, Stratton Magazine is thrilled to feature the world-renowned Vermont-based home goods store – and allow them to help you prepare for the holidays.
Founded in Dorset, Vermont, J.K. Adams has been crafting beautiful wooden home goods and serving pieces since 1944, making them a one-stop shop for high-quality, handcrafted products. At their flagship location in Dorset, you’ll find their iconic pieces like the Turnabout Boards and Artisan Serving Bowls, along with a wide variety of other Vermont-made products, gourmet food items, and useful home goods. The store is staffed with knowledgeable and courteous experts, making it the perfect location to start your holiday party planning journey. With a little guidance and a few carefully chosen products, your holiday party will be a wonderful celebration of all the things that make this time of year truly special—good food, great company, and the warm spirit of Vermont.
Pre-Party Planning, Cooking, and Setup
The heart of any home holiday gathering starts in the kitchen. From preparing ingredients to setting up an inviting space, getting organized ahead of time is key to hosting a seamless event.
Let’s start with the basics: prep work. The Turnabout Board from J.K. Adams, a staff favorite on the hit PBS TV show, America’s Test Kitchen, is the perfect multi-tasking tool for preparing everything from roasted vegetables to turkey, ham, and beef roasts. This fully reversible board is designed to efficiently catch excess liquids and prevent messes. The J.K. Adams Serving Boards, including the Elmore Cherry Serving Board and the Artisan Maple Round Serving Board, provide both beauty and functionality to any party. They serve as elegant bases for charcuterie, cheese, and fruit displays, allowing you to easily transition from food prep to stylish service. As Sean Osborne, Marketing Director at J.K. Adams, notes, “Our boards are designed to be as practical as they are beautiful—perfect for both prepping and displaying your holiday creations.”
For those planning to bake holiday treats, J.K. Adams also offers a line of exceptional rolling pins, including the sleek French-style Pin, ideal for rolling out dough for pies and pastries. The smooth finish and tapered edges are perfect for patisserie mavens. For novice bakers, the Dowel-style Rolling Pin, also lauded by America’s Test Kitchen, provides more control and ease of use, making it ideal for first-time or emergent bakers. In addition to J.K. Adams’ brand of Made-in-Vermont products, they also sell Emile Henry dutch ovens, stainless-steel skillets and saucepans from Hestan, and stainless-steel cookware sets from MADE IN. Aprons, oven mitts, potholders, runners, napkins, and pantry towels are available on-site in a variety of fetching textile patterns.
In the mood for unforgettable Holiday hors d’oeuvres or appetizers? Don’t forget the Vermont-made dips and soups!
Halladay’s Harvest Barn offers a wide range of soup and dip mixes that are perfect for easy, crowd-pleasing appetizers (also available at J.K. Adams). Whether you’re serving their caramelized onion dip or butternut bisque soup, you can display these festive favorites in J.K. Adams’ beautiful Maple Serving Bowls, available in various sizes. Sean Osborne points out, “Our smaller serving bowls are the perfect addition to a charcuterie board or a dip display—they add a touch of Vermont craftsmanship to any Holiday presentation.” The bowls are also fantastic for salad presentation, adding an element of countrified refinement to any Holiday table.
For those looking to add a bit of flair to their holiday table, Bennington Potters offers finely-crafted bowls and plates that complement J.K. Adams’ wooden pieces. Selections from their inventory are available for purchase at the J.K. Adams flagship store. Bennington Potters’ Rimmed Serving Bowls and Harvest Bowls are perfect for serving family-style meals, from hearty salads to roasted vegetables. By combining the classic elegance of Bennington Potters with the rustic warmth of J.K. Adams woodwork, you can create a stunning table setting that feels both modern and rooted in Vermont tradition.
Don’t know what to make for your Holiday dinner? Expand your culinary horizons with the refined arsenal of cookbooks available at J.K. Adams. Titles like The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, My Vermont Table, and On Board provide the perfect inspiration for creating unforgettable holiday dishes.
Holiday party preparation isn’t just about the food—it’s also about setting the scene for a warm, inviting celebration. J.K. Adams offers wooden candle holders and seasonal décor pieces, including outstanding pieces engraved with festive designs by Vermont artist Laura Zindel. Her nature-inspired designs add a unique and elegant touch to any table, from wooden and slate boards to coasters, mugs, serving dishes, and sauce dishes. For a personalized touch, customized, engraved J.K. Adams boards are available in a wide variety of styles. They are made on-site in the J.K. Adams Dorset location by highly-skilled craftspeople. Put an engraved board at the centerpiece of your table, and add some candles from Ardent Flame of Bennington to create a soft, welcoming glow throughout your dining space. These soy, lead-free candles are made locally in Bennington, and they’re a beautiful way to set the mood for your holiday party.
Hosting the Perfect Holiday Party
Thoughtful planning and a blend of expertly-chosen products are the key to creating an evening that flows seamlessly—and J.K Adams is here to help make your event shine! Once guests are settled, the heart of any great party—the food—comes into play. Whether you’re serving appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, or entrees crafted in your own kitchen, any meal is nicely complemented by an eclectic spread of some of Vermont’s best snacks, like Stowe Crackers or Sugar Bob’s Maple
Sriracha Cashews. Finish the spread with savory, spicy, or sweet preserves from Blake Hill Preserves or Sidehill Farm Jam, two trusted Vermont jam and preserve makers with delectable flavors and made with caring expertise. In addition to their scrumptious jams and preserves, Blake Hill Preserves also offers Apple Maple Butter, which is a fun and unique culinary addition for any Vermont pantry.
For a scintillating splash of artisan panache, hosts can elevate their beverage service with Simon Pearce glassware. Their beloved handblown glass pieces are available both at J.K. Adams, and at the new Simon Pearce storefront in Manchester. (For more on the newly-opened Simon Pearce store in Manchester, see page 28). Whether it’s wine glasses or old-fashioned glasses, Simon Pearce’s creations add a timeless, sophisticated touch of Vermont craftsmanship. Everything from holiday cocktails to sparkling water can be served with style, creating a visually-arresting drink station that stands in prime aesthetic alignment with J.K. Adams serving platters.
When planning your holiday bar, don’t forget to stock up on Vermont-made beverages.
For craft beer enthusiasts, J.K. Adams also carries selections from local breweries like Lawson’s Finest Liquids and The Alchemist, known for their distinctive flavors that capture the essence of Vermont brewing. Refreshing non-alcoholic beverage options, such as Vermont-based Aqua ViTea Kombucha and TÖST Non-Alcoholic Beverages, are also available at J.K. Adams, providing an energizing sip for all to enjoy. Regardless of your chosen libation, bottles can be easily stored and arranged on a J.K. Adams Modular Wine Rack, and a J.K. Adams Lazy Susan is ideal for use as a drink prep and garnish station. For additional mixological flavor, be sure to stock up on Runamok Maple Bitters, which pair deliciously with the rich flavor notes of Vermont-made whiskeys and other spirits.
For those who love a good cup of coffee or a holiday espresso as an uplifting Holiday nightcap, J.K. Adams has a selection of Chemex pour-overs and high-end espresso machines, making it easy to brew a high-quality cup for guests. Looking for a taste of exceptional Vermont java? Treat yourself to a bag of rich, satisfying, locally-roasted Tall Cat Coffee, which you can also find at J.K. Adams. Whether you’re serving it as a morning pick-me-up or as an after-dinner option, these coffee essentials ensure your guests enjoy every sip.
Post-Party Cleanup and Storage
After the last guest has left and the evening begins to fade, it’s time to tackle the aftermath of your holiday celebration. While cleaning up after a party can often feel overwhelming, a little planning ahead—as well as some much-needed help from Vermont’s best local products—can make this process as smooth as the event itself.
J.K. Adams offers a wide range of products that help make post-party cleaning and organizing a less taxing experience. The first step in the post-party process is managing the cleanup. Whether it’s polishing up your kitchen or packing away leftovers, having the right cleaning tools and products can take the stress out of tidying up. At J.K. Adams, you can find a range of containers for easy and seamless food storage, as well as Vermont-made cleaning supplies to help streamline the process of caring for high-quality Vermont home goods. For leftovers, J.K. Adams provides an array of food storage solutions, including airtight wooden lid containers, durable glass storage bowls, and plastic wrap dispensers. The containers help to reduce waste, making it easy to keep things organized in the refrigerator. One indispensable product is the locally-made Dorset Daughters’ Wood Care collection, designed specifically for maintaining J.K. Adams’ wooden boards, bowls, and serving utensils. Their beeswax wood conditioner and food-grade mineral oil will keep your J.K. Adams Maple Serving Boards, rolling pins, and charcuterie boards looking as beautiful as the day you bought them. Dorset Daughters’ Vermont-made dish cake soap is ideally suited for post-party cleanup. Its powerful grease-cutting properties are packaged sustainably, and the dish soap is made without any artificial colors or fragrances.
Whether you’re storing roasted vegetables or holiday desserts, the Bennington Potters’ Medium Basic Bowls or White Rimmed Bowls are also great for keeping food fresh in a stylish and beautifully-made container. Once the cleanup is done, it’s time to relax and start looking forward to the next morning.
The day after a holiday party is perfect for a slow, cozy breakfast with family and friends, and J.K. Adams offers all the tools to make it special. Whether you’re whipping up pancakes or brewing a strong cup of coffee, serving platters provide an ideal platform for a relaxed, post-party meal. Vermont favorites like Dorset Maple Reserve Syrup, Butternut Mountain Farm Panckake Mix, and Runamok Maple Syrup are a must for a comforting morning meal. For a more relaxing beverage, brew a soothing cup of Republic of Tea with local honey from Trifolium Farms—both of which are available at J.K. Adams—and enjoy a healthy, holistic, and rejuvenating taste of Vermont Holiday splendor. You’ve earned it!