We had a lot of fun participating in the Reddit Secret Santa last year with our “Narwhal Jam“, and every time we talk to Redditors, they always have great things to say (Yes, BrownSound, we love you too). In fact, one of our biggest thrills was having the world famous (or at least Reddit famous) licenseplate leave this awesome review on one of our gift packs. However, I don’t think we’ve established ourselves with you in any way as your go-to source for flavor. Because of that, here are the top five reasons why you should think ‘VSpicery’ when you think “Oh crap, I’m out of Applewood Smoked Sea Salt”. Oh, and if you left us a comment or dropped us a message, that would be really awesome.

1. We’re Penzeys quality at Wal-Mart prices. You don’t have to order a catalog, and you don’t have to buy in bulk. We cater to everyone from the occasional household cook to the chefs who count on us for their regular spice and seasoning supply. ALL product is turned over every four weeks max, so we guarantee you freshness and amazing flavor (and by guarantee, we mean we’ll give you your money back if you are dissatisfied).

2. We’re a small family business owned and operated by Redditors. That’s got to count for something, right? If you ever have any questions or issues about anything, you don’t even have to leave Reddit. Just message epicure_illume (who is an epic lurker) or MrDubious (who people wish was an epic lurker).

3. We know what we’re talking about. It’s not bragadaccio. Think I’m joking? Call Val or David at the shop and ask them about some seasoning, spice, oil, vinegar, etc. I guarantee, you will get an education, along with three dinner ideas. Stuck on your dinner party entree? Use our contact form to ask Kym for suggestions on seasonings and preparation for your ingredients. This is a family that has lived and breathed gourmet for generations. Creative Loafing said it best:

Have a vague memory of some spice mixture from a long-forgotten recipe that you can’t find in supermarkets? Or just looking to add a dash of flavor to your everyday dishes? Then you must go to VSpicery, a kind of apothecary shop for chefs. Owner Val Herzog says she was inspired to found the store in order to share her “passion for flavor,” and it shows; watching her concoct a spice mix is a delight, like viewing a culinary version of Bill Nye the Science Guy. Just reading the product names on the shelves is fun: Himalayan Sea Salt, Key Lime Curd, Cha Cha Chili Rub — you may want to cook with them just to say you did (but make sure you get Val’s advice on what tastes good with what).

4. We’re firm believers in sustainable farming and fair trade agriculture. We only deal with suppliers who adhere to these concepts, and we go to the source whenever possible. Additionally, because we deal with the source, whenever we’re looking for something yummy we can’t find anywhere, we have it custom made for our house brands.

5. You’ll never find us in a mall. What I’m really saying is, we’ve always worked hard to keep overhead low, because we care more about the sensual experience of flavor than we do about a high profit margin. We’re able to offer such competitive pricing by maintaining a modest store front, and concentrating more on flavor and quality than how to squeeze another few bucks out of our customers. Some people have said this is a mistake, but we believe it’s more important to offer high quality, healthy gourmet products than to complete with the latest “Gourmet Boutique” at your local Consumer Plaza. That trade off hasn’t made us rich, but it does make us the best at what we do. We hope you agree.

So, Cookit, now that we’ve told you why we think you should love us, tell us what you want. Anything we can do to accommodate, we will. Oh, and please check yes. Or at the very least, maybe. We’re not very good at Forever Alone.