Robin Godwin: Maryland Farm Store ‘Rooster & Hen’ Now Open at the Cross Street Market

Maryland farm store Rooster & Hen opened last week at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill. Rooster & Hen built out the 1,800-plus sq. ft, previously-vacant space at the southeast corner of the market adjacent to the Light St. entrance.

Owners Joseph McRedmond and Allison Smith, who live in Catonsville with their three kids, previously vended at two different Catonsville farmers markets. Their bond over the need for easily-accessible, locally-grown food inspired them to establish a brick-and-mortar location in Catonsville in 2016.

The Catonsville store closed in September and the Federal Hill build-out started soon after.

McRedmond and Smith wanted to relocate to Federal Hill because they saw it as a walkable neighborhood that needed access to fresh produce and foods. “So many people told us they were tired of getting in their car and driving to a grocery store,” said Smith. “Every neighborhood should have its own small market.”

They were also drawn to Federal Hill because of the people. “Everyone here is so nice, so supportive, and has invested in their neighborhood. We are more psyched to be here every day. All the other businesses owners in the market are so cool and talented,” said Smith.

Rooster & Hen wants to make sure produce is affordable for everyone so they will have conventional produce, as well as more expensive local organic produce. Smith said they want to make sure all their customers can have access to everything previously sold by Kwon’s Produce, which was open at Cross Street Market before the building was renovated.

Smith said she would love for Rooster & Hen to be a place where all the local chefs stop by for ingredients.

Rooster & Hen is still stocking up its new space directly across from Ceremony Coffee. The store will sell fresh produce including vegetables and herbs; dried goods like pastas and rice; herbs, spices, and sauces; snacks; baked goods; frozen foods including pizzas, raviolis, and pints of Taharka Brothers ice cream; cold drinks including craft sodas, sparking waters, and fresh-squeezed juices; cheeses, eggs, and milk; breads from local vendors including Stonemill Bakery; fresh cut flowers and bouquets; local frozen beef from Clarks; frozen organic chicken; and more.

It will have more local, organic produce in the spring when the crops are in season.

Rooster & Hen has a kitchen and prepared items will include grab-and-go salads, soups, and sandwiches. The team plans on soon adding breakfast sandwiches on bagels shipped down from the Bronx. It will also offer weekly meal kit boxes. Classes will also be held about twice a month teaching participants how to make their own meal prep boxes along with soup, pasta, and sauce cooking classes.

The kitchen will also bring in guest chefs who will add menu items for months at a time.

The store gives a nod to local farms with interior windows made of wood and chicken wire. These windows can open and close depending on when the store is open.

Rooster & Hen is open every day from 1030am to 630pm. It has two employees.

Cross Street Market underwent an $8.5-million redevelopment by CSM Ventures, LLC, a partnership between Caves Valley Partners (CVP) and CANAdev, with property management by MacKenzie Management. Renovations began in April 2018 and started to reopen in May 2019. Currently, 17 stalls are open, a large seafood restaurant and crab house by the Atlas Restaurant Group at the S. Charles St. entrance has yet to begin construction, and there are four empty stalls in the market.

Arsh Mirmiran of CVP told SouthBMore.com regarding the four empty stalls that one is leased, one is “nearly leased,” and one is having a letter of intent negotiated. One stall remains available and CVP and its Cross Street Market team of CANAdev and MacKenzie plan on hosting some Ravens playoff-themed pop-ups in the space.

“From day one, it’s been our intent to preserve the true ‘market’ component of Cross Street Market, and we were committed to achieving that,” said Mirmiran in a press release. “Now, guests can pick up their produce and raw ingredients from Rooster & Hen, a selection of fine meats at Fenwick’s and, soon, Baltimore’s best and freshest seafood from Atlas Restaurant Group’s new fish market. We are thrilled to welcome Rooster & Hen to Cross Street Market and to the South Baltimore community.”

Read SouthBMore.com’s articles detailing the different aspects of the Cross Street Market redevelopment here.