If someone were to ask you what food you associate with Switzerland, chances are that you will think of cheese and chocolate. We all have our own favorites…whether it’s Gruyère or Emmental, Lindt or Toblerone…you can’t beat Swiss cheese or chocolate.
However, there is so much more to Switzerland than its dairy products! There are terrines from Fribourg, olive oil from Tessin, apple juice from Thurgovie, honeypots from Zürich, and brandy from Valais, indeed the list is endless…Which is why husband and wife team, Alexandra and Guillaume Schleipen have set up their own food store in Lausanne to showcase the many and varied culinary delights of all 26 cantons within Switzerland.
Bringing everything together
Guillaume told knowitall.ch, “Eight years ago, my wife and I met at the Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne, where we soon discovered we had a mutual passion for food; we simply loved discovering the specialties of the regions we visited all over the world. After we left the hotel school, my wife used to work a lot on the Swiss-German side of Switzerland, and would bring home lots of specialties from this region, which we had never seen before. And it wasn’t just us, our neighbours were equally astonished at the many different types of food my wife would show them! When it comes to food, the “Röstigraben” cultural boundary that many people joke about between the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland has certainly had a divisive effect !”
He continued, “We had this lightbulb moment when we realized what a wonderful opportunity we had to bring all Switzerland’s culinary specialties together under one roof. In April 2014 we embarked on a new project together, and set about opening what we believe is the only food store of its kind in Switzerland, one which showcases the culinary heritage of all 26 cantons within Switzerland!”
Personal connections with suppliers
For more than a year and a half, during their free time, Alexandra and Guillaume traveled relentlessly back and forth across Switzerland’s cantons, from Schaffhausen to Ticino and Geneva to Grisons, carrying out their research on the country's unique culinary heritage. They visited food forums and fairs all over Switzerland to discover the best quality producers in each region. Having established who the key players were, and selecting more than 400 different types of products to include in their shop, they then made appointments to meet the producers within each region.
In Guillaume’s opinion, this is what sets Helvetimart apart from other speciality food shops in Switzerland. He and his wife know all their suppliers and have visited the factories where their produce is manufactured to make sure the food they are selling in their shop has been made to the highest quality for their customers. Guillaume emphasised, “We have taken the decision to work with a lot of small producers, for whom quality is a priority rather than quantity.”
If you want to find out more about the concept behind Helvetimart, click here to watch a short video in French.
Food presented by region
When you visit Helvetimart, one of the things that immediately strikes you is the layout. Unlike most food stores you will visit, the shop is not “categorized” by its products but by region. So you can “visit” each of the cantons in Switzerland and discover for yourself what makes them so special, be it their jam, teas or honey, or their wine and whisky!
If you just want to get a taste of what Switzerland has to offer then it’s possible to buy gift boxes which have been prepared by Alexandra and Guillaume along different themes. For example, the Granny Box, priced at Fr. 80.- includes:
- 1 pack of herbal tea from Unterwald
- 1 pack of herbal tea from Valais
- 1 pack of Caramels from Fribourg
- 1 pack of Tirggel biscuits from Zürich
- 1 honeypot from Tessin
- 1 honeypot from Zürich
It is also possible to buy gift boxes online as well as in the shop, but you will have more choice if you go into the shop as you can select from a wider range of products and make your own boxes according to your own preferences.
Other services
In addition to selling individual grocery products and gift boxes, Helvetimart proposes food platters with different kind of cheeses, dry meat, and sausages, etc. so clients can discover for themselves all the richness of Switzerland. They also offer regional dishes that have been specially prepared in individual jars, using ingredients from the different regions. If you need any help selecting a recipe, there are cookbooks for sale to give you plenty of ideas too!
According to their website, there are daily food tastings of their products, as well as regular workshops and meet-the producer events, organized along cantonal and seasonal themes. And if you’re feeling hungry at lunchtime, why not give their takeaway menu deal a try? You can by a sandwich or salad with drink and dessert, chosen according to the current availability of products and promotional theme.
Helvetimart also offers a range of services for business clients that are ideal for special occasions. For example, if you would like to create a personalised gift box for your employees or customers, then Helvetimart will advise you on the best choice of products for your occasion. Or if you want to organise an event along the theme of one of Switzerland’s cantons at your offices, they can also provide food platters and accompanying drinks.
Gourmet customers
Guillaume concluded, “We are targeting consumers, who have a clear desire to discover Switzerland’s unique culinary heritage and who want to know more about Switzerland. We have had special panels made in our shop to present each region, and we have translated those panels into French, German and English on an iPad, which is available in the shop for anyone who wants to find out more. In short, we welcome gourmet consumers who love to eat and who appreciate top quality food created by some of the best producers in Switzerland!”
Of course, at knowitall.ch we received an excellent recommendation from one of the many customers who have grown to love Helvetimart but if you want to see for yourself just how popular the shop has become, take a look at the reviews on their Facebook page here.
Helvetimart
Rue du Petit-Chêne 3
1003 Lausanne
021 626 33 33
https://helvetimart.ch/?lang=en
Open Monday to Saturday
Monday – Friday: 11h00 – 19h00
Saturday: 10h00 – 18h00
Sunday and public holidays: closed
