Davis Food Co-op Departments
Deli | Produce | Cheese | Dairy | Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Wine & Beer | Bulk Foods | Grocery | Wellness
Deli
Prepared salads on display at the Co-op. Signs display all salad ingredients.
Rediscover the Co-op deli!
In 2008, the Co-op Deli underwent a major renovation and our shoppers are buzzing with excitement at all the changes. Whether you’re picking up a quick meal to take away or to eat on the Co-op patio, collecting scrumptious & healthy pre-made deli salads for that dinner party or stocking up on sliced meats and cheeses, the new Co-op deli is sure to impress and surprise you.
Features now include:
• Salad Bar—A self-serve salad bar boasting more than 60 unique items, including many organic items.
• Hot Food To Go—Two hot food buffets including comfort foods, Eastern entrees and many vegetarian dishes.
• Hot Soup—An expanded hot soup station including seafood soups, vegetarian soups and vegan soups.
• Custom Sandwiches—We’ve made big improvements to Co-op custom sandwiches. With more all-natural meats, more naturally-aged cheeses and more fresh veggie options, we think we now make the best deli sandwich in town. We’ll even replace your sandwich for free if you don’t agree. They’re that good.
• Sushi—Mermaid Sushi is handmade fresh all day by our sushi chefs. In response to customer suggestions, Co-op sushi is now made with absolutely no high-fructose corn syrup, no aspartame and no artificial colors. Don’t see what you like? Ask Sithu (pronounced C-2) our sushi chef to create something special. You can even try your favorite rolls made with brown rice.
• Baked Goods—An amazing array of breads, scones, muffins and our famous Co-op cookies greet you as you enter the store. Choose from items baked fresh right here at the Co-op or from items delivered by our many local vendors.
Produce
The Co-op produce department beneath artwork of local scenes by a local artist.
Admit it. We’re pretty spoiled in Davis to live in such a productive agricultural region. You can take advantage of our local bounty every day in the Co-op produce department, where we do our best to provide local produce whenever possible. Many of our farmers are the same folks you see at the Davis Farmer’s market—you may even find yourself shopping right alongside them! Look for the “Local” tags in produce (and all around the store) to find items produced within 100 miles of Davis. Whether local or not, the Co-op labels every produce item with its origin so you know how far your food traveled.
While the Co-op features organically-grown produce (about 80% of our mix, depending on the season), we understand that not everyone can afford to buy all organic all the time. That’s why the Co-op also offers conventional varieties so every budget can afford to eat fresh fruits & veggies year round.
Cooking something new? In addition to fresh seasonal produce, you will find exotic items to fit any recipe. Find these specialty produce items across from the Co-op Sushi Bar.
Cheese
Co-op staff workers hand-slice cheese for the coming day.
In 2008 the Co-op cheese department saw a major renovation and expansion—and local cheese lovers rejoiced! The cheese department now boasts hundreds of unique cheeses, both local and international, crafted from the milk of goats, sheep, cows, even water buffalo. Want to taste before you buy? Most evenings you can find Co-op volunteers offering samples (usually alongside scrumptious fruit or crackers). Can’t find the right size? Our friendly cheese department staff can custom-cut pieces for you upon request. Overwhelmed by all the cheese choices? The Co-op also offers cheese tasting classes as part of our Cooking Class Program.
Dairy
The new Co-op dairy refrigerators provide more product and a safer work area.
The Co-op is proud to announce that our major dairy supplier is now Clover Stornetta Farms from Petaluma, CA (about 75 miles from Davis). The Co-op also features organic dairy products from Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative with participating dairies located all over Northern California. Prefer your milk in glass? Look for organic milk in glass jugs from Straus Family Creamery, farmed in Marin County, California (about 80 miles from Davis). We charge a deposit on the glass jugs, which we refund when the jug is returned.
You will also find many yogurts chock-full of live cultures in the Co-op dairy department as well as gourmet butters and all sorts of non-dairy options.
The Co-op features cage-free and organic eggs including eggs from Vega Farms, located right here in Davis.
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Co-op butchers prepare and serve fresh all-natural meats.
Looking for meat & seafood you can trust? Many of our shoppers tell us they won’t buy their family’s meats anywhere but the Co-op because of our high standards. All co-op meat and poultry is raised humanely with no added hormones or antibiotics ever. Our meats are all U.S.-raised by producers who practice responsible farming. When it comes to seafood, the Co-op participates in the FishWise program to provide only seafood that is harvested with an eye to the future.
Five-Dot Ranch Beef is raised on pastures near Standish, California (about 250 miles from Davis). Five-Dot is the Co-op’s major beef supplier, providing you with all-natural beef fed on U.S.-grown grain and given plenty of room to roam. Five Dot Ranch is certified by the Food Alliance for their commitment to sustainable farming practices.
Eel River Grass-Fed Organic Beef graze on the lush fertilizer and pesticide-free grasslands on the North Coast of California in Humboldt County (about 300 miles from Davis). Grass-fed beef is leaner and richer in flavor than grain-fed beef and Eel River Beef is raised on certified organic pastures. You’ll pay a little more for grass-fed beef, but you’ll find the taste makes it worth the splurge.
Niman Ranch Pork & Lamb come from a network of farms and ranches, all of whom have committed to raising all-natural livestock using sustainable farming methods. Niman Ranch farmers and ranchers select traditional breeds that produce healthy animals and have been proven to produce superior quality meat. By raising animals in modest numbers and using traditional farming methods, Niman Ranch farmers and ranchers preserve the integrity of the land and waters for themselves, their families and their communities.
Petaluma Poultry is raised and processed in Petaluma, California (about 75 miles from Davis). Petaluma raises chickens on U.S.-grown grain and offers three varieties: Rocky, a free-range variety; Rocky, an all-natural (but not free-range) variety and Rosie, a 100% organic chicken. On a 2007 tour of the Petaluma Poultry plant, Co-op staff learned first-hand how this company takes great care in their treatment of their chickens from the farm to the plant.
Diestel Farms Turkey is raised near Sonora, California (about 130 miles from Davis). Diestel is a family farm and has been raising turkeys since 1949. Click through to the "turkey table" (a PDF file) for more about Thanksgiving turkeys.
FishWise Sustainable Seafood Program is a Santa-Cruz-based program working with retailers and restaurants to ensure the seafood they sell is harvested using methods that ensure environmental health and strong seafood populations for generations to come. At the Co-op meat counter you will find every seafood item labeled with the catch method and with a yellow or green label. The green label means this is a “best choice” while the yellow label means there is “some concern.” Fishwise also offers a red label for “threatened” but the Co-op opts not to offer these varieties.
Wine & Beer
The Co-op's expansive wine department.
You would be hard-pressed to find a better selection of wines in Davis. The Co-op offers a wide variety of wines for every taste and budget—from every corner of the globe—Italy, France, Australia, Chile, Napa County and many wines from right here in Yolo County. Whether you’re serving filet mignon or a grilled cheese sandwich, the Co-op’s knowledgeable wine staff can help you find the perfect pairing.
An amazing selction of beer awaits...
Since the recent renovation, the Co-op’s beer selection has grown. And grown. And grown. By now we’re pretty confident in saying the Co-op offers the widest selection of imports and microbrews in town. Compare our prices and you’ll see that not only do we offer the best selection, we often offer the best deal in town. We sell kegs too!
Join us for ataste! The Co-op typically hosts wine or beer tastings twice a month.
Visit the Co-op Events Page for our current schedule of Wine & Beer Tastings.
Bulk Foods
Grains and flours in the Co-op Bulk Foods Department.
Pay for the product, not the package! The Co-op offers more than 700 unique items in bulk—from grains to teas to spices to baking supplies, dried fruit and trail mix. Simply fill your container with the item and mark down the bin number. Our cashiers will take it from there.
The Co-op offers bags for bulk foods, but our foods are especially fond of reusable containers. Just weigh your container (even if there’s still food in it from last time) and mark this number on the container with a T (for the “Tare” weight). Fill up your container, make sure to mark the bin number as well, and our cashiers will take it from there.
Did you end up at home with a mysterious bulk item labeled only with its bin number? You’re not alone! Use our handy bulk foods index to identify your product.
The Co-op recommends that shoppers with severe food allergies avoid bulk products.
Grocery
New shelves in the Co-op Grocery Department provide 20% more product space.
Look to the Co-op grocery department to really grasp the unique and diverse product mix we offer. You will find a wide spectrum of options for most food items. From small-scale and local to large-scale organic to national mainstream brands, the Co-op truly offers something for everyone.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Most Co-op grocery items may be special ordered—just ask any staff member. Keep in mind that some items may only be special ordered in case quantities.
In Autumn of 2008, the Co-op renovation picked up our grocery department, realigned the aisles, inserted new shelving and reset the configuration of products. This reset provided 20% more shelf space so that we could offer more of the products our customers request. The Co-op is extremely grateful to all of our customers for their undying patience during this unsettling time. The most disruptive part of the renovation is now complete. Thank you!
Wellness
All-natural soaps in the Co-op Wellness Department—including bulk dispensers.
The Co-op offers an incredible selection of vitamins and supplements for every shopper. Co-op Wellness Department staff members are well-trained as to the products we offer. Don’t hesitate to approach them for help in finding the right item.
The Wellness Department also offers shelves upon shelves full of all-natural beauty products—from shampoo to lotion to toothpaste to lip balm. If you’re shopping at the Co-op for healthier foods for your insides, why not also take a look at healthier products for your outsides?