About Us

Andrea, Shopkeeper

Well…who doesn’t like to eat?!! What we eat and who we break bread with is really at the center of living isn’t it?

We want Lewes Gourmet to be the type of place where you feel welcome while finding that special something that connects you with your life experience both near and far. I enjoy being able to sample foods that are ubiquitous with local life like Krista’s Jams & Jellies but also find comfort that our kids, who grew up in Europe, can also reminisce over their favorite British and Dutch sweets. I also like that I get to try new things and experience new ways of cooking and creating food for family and friends.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, living most of my adult life in Europe and then making Lewes my home, I feel blessed that Lewes Gourmet and my taste buds take me back to so many places I have lived and visited, and also let me experience the places I have yet to see.

Welcoming both our regular and first-time customers reminds us of the importance of family, community and the natural world around us with which we have been entrusted. Becoming plastic bag free and stocking eco-friendly and sustainable products in packaging that is recyclable and plastic free is a continuing aspiration.

Eating Healthy and Eating Extraordinary is always the goal—surrounded by family and friends.

Tim, Shopkeeper

Great food has been an ongoing passion for me through the years! With a British father and a mother from Finland (I sometimes joke that the latter is to be found on the periphery not only of Europe, but of civilization itself!), I was fortunate to have traveled abroad regularly throughout my youth. This exposed me to a huge variety of tastes and flavors, which in turn activated my culinary curiosity at a young age, and I like to think I am gastronomically adventurous to this day, never averse to a new challenge!

I am therefore proud that Lewes Gourmet fulfills not only my British Expat hankerings for goodies from across the Pond, but also offers the opportunity to sample fine foods from our backyard in DelMarVa and from across the world too. These are largely inspired by personal experience as well as by recommendations and requests from our clientele, who originate from, or have been exposed to food from all corners of our world! Every day brings new experiences through our customers, new suggestions, and new tales from afar, and so Andrea, the team and I are continuously inspired and our taste buds aroused. It is our hope that you too will take delight in the fine foods and offerings that Lewes Gourmet proposes. We look forward to your visit!

The Southerst Family

Lewes Gourmet is a family affair…

Alex, when she is not studying for her Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Delaware or working for the Biden Institute, can sometimes be found talking to customers about her favorite tea and theirs.

John is a Junior at Cape Henlopen High School and continues to be a customer favorite and our default store manager of sorts. A wiz at math, we had to convince him to use the cash register and not make change in his head. Not sure what John loves more: British candy, Orangina, secret box puzzles or fishing off the Town Dock in front of the store!

Liz a Senior studying elementary education, also at University of Delaware, especially loves helping our youngest shoppers. She’s often to be seen driving the family carpool to and from the shops or popping in as she heads off to the beach or to lifeguard.

Suzette

I work part time at Lewes Gourmet. It is always interesting to walk around and discover the new products that have come in since the last time I worked. A great selection of reusable, environmentally-friendly items that are great for food storage have recently arrived. There are beautiful towels for any kitchen, in various themes.

The store also has a wide assortment of local and international foods. Many people comment that they are able to find the exact (and perhaps exotic) ingredients needed for their special recipe here at Lewes Gourmet. I often end up buying their highly recommended favorite candy, soup, chips, pasta, tea….and more! I enjoy relaxing with a good cup of tea, a piece of delicious chocolate, and a challenging jigsaw puzzle, all of which are available at Lewes Gourmet and the adjoining store, PUZZLES.

Andrew

I was born in Annapolis and have been coming to Lewes my whole life. I’ve always enjoyed visiting both Lewes Gourmet and PUZZLES. Now that I have moved to Lewes hopefully more permanently, I thought that I would get a job where I already loved going.

It’s hard to pick just one thing when it comes to favorite item in Lewes Gourmet, so I’m going to have to go with the sweets/candies as a whole. There has always been such a great selection of candies here from around the world, and it’s what draws a lot of people here.

Barbara

My husband and I have been coming to Lewes since 1990. My family has moved a few times but consider Lewes their special place to come to gather with family & friends. I especially love the assortment of candies and jams in Lewes Gourmet, and my favorite of all are Gin Gins hard ginger candies.

I also enjoy meeting families who visit PUZZLES next door and share that the puzzle store is a must visit as part of their annual Lewes vacation!

Diane

Originally from Joppa, Maryland, I have been living in Lewes since June 2020. After visiting Lewes Gourmet and PUZZLES in 2018 and speaking with Tim, the proprietor of PUZZLES, I was given a history lesson of how he and his wife Andrea, who runs Lewes Gourmet, came from the UK with their family and settled in the town of Lewes. Lewes Gourmet started in 1993 and supplemented PUZZLES which started a year previously, introducing products not only from the UK but from all over the world. I love that there is something here for everyone. It’s a “Ma & Pa” shop, but with a twist. I love that these products are unique to this store. I find it both refreshing and heartwarming when customers from other countries can reminisce about a specific product that they haven’t had since they were young, or Americans just looking to try something different. I also love the fact that Andrea has a real commitment to ordering local and regional food products from small batch suppliers, who offer usefu

l and fun eco-friendly products made with sustainable natural materials from companies that also give back to the local and global community in an effort to generate less waste, all of which is important to her in keeping the planet healthy.