We believe consistency is key, and by crafting small batches, we’re able to provide the same flavor you know and love every time.
Since we’re a small shop, we can also grind in-house, which means the flavors you receive are going to be even more robust and delicious!
With a great appreciation for each individual culinary experience, we provide a simplified approach to incorporating unique and traditional flavors into your favorite recipes.
We’re not afraid to get creative as we focus on providing you with the most tantalizing flavors that compliment your everyday dishes.
Our small, handcrafted batches with carefully sourced ingredients ensure the highest quality and consistency.
While our spices tell the story, we’re here for so much more!
We offer seasonal recipes, general culinary tips, and our passion operates on a local level. Shopping local, small businesses is what allows us to thrive, and we couldn’t be more grateful.
And there’s the sense of community we strive to bring to our world of spices – we enjoy getting to seek out every opportunity to collaborate with other spice-lovers like yourself in an effort to share knowledge and ideas. We love being a part of our community and being able to work with the people that have played such an important role in fostering our success.
Whether you’re a restaurant chef, butcher, culinary extraordinaire, or you simply enjoy cooking with quality ingredients, we’re here to provide you with the flavors you deserve.
You are the culinary visionaries who explore, experiment, and continue to learn about the ever evolving flavor experience that spices provide. And we would love to help you every step of the way!
We are focused on fostering culinary relationships at any time in many different ways! We work with restaurants wanting proprietary blends, and with people looking to inspire others through the art of cooking via social media. No matter the occasion, we firmly believe spices can make a world of difference.
In addition to working with others, we also offer corporate gifting, bulk spice orders for wedding favors, and holiday gift boxes! All you have to do is contact us if you’re interested, and we’d be more than happy to answer your questions.
Stuart’s Spices was founded in 1992 after a local Rochesterian—Stuart—created a name for himself at the Public Market. He initially sold pre-packaged spices before shifting the focus to grinding small batches of his own blends as demand grew.
When he made the decision to retire, the business was purchased by a local couple—Tom & Vicky—who carried on the legacy and led the way to considerable growth until their happy retirement in 2022.
Now the shop is owned by John, another Rochestarian who is passionate about food and flavor. With his crew of indispensable spice merchants always hard at work, Stuart’s Spices continues to thrive, providing the same great quality and service envisioned from the very start by Stuart himself.
The People That Love Spices
As passionate about eating as he is about cooking, John is looking forward to adding his own ideas to the lineup of flavors currently available. John has a serious love of game season and holidays, and puts great importance on spending time with family. The thing which ties all of these together is, of course, food. John enjoys experimenting and trying new processes in the kitchen, as well as photographing the end results.
Food scientist Vince has been with the business since it was owned by Stuart. Whenever a new seasoning blend is proposed, Vince’s expertise in how spices react and their chemistry in cooking provides the foundation for the development process. Customers rely on Vince when they have a technical question about how spices will perform or if they are curious about the botanical relationships of herbs and spices.
How do we get from a 110-pound bag of whole peppercorns down to your favorite rub? That’s where Mark comes in! Pallets full of premium quality herbs and spices arrive at Stuart’s, and it’s up to Mark to grind and mix these to create our signature blends and customers’ proprietary blends. It’s an exacting process--not only must recipes have the correct measure of ingredients, but each has a different grain size and consistency that must be precisely guaranteed.
Jack is the go-to person for Stuart's Spices packaging department. He keeps track of what's needed in store and at the public market, and makes sure everything is filled and ready to go accordingly. From Stuart's small retail pouches to 25-pound boxes, accuracy is his forte. Whatever needs packaging, Jack is up to the task and will do it with efficiency.
Most of you are probably already familiar with Cecie, as she handles the front of the store. In the time that she's worked here, she has come to love many of our amazing spices and blends. If you follow us on social media, she also posts many updates and pictures of food that either she or someone else at Stuart's has whipped up. A foodie at heart, Cecie loves hearing about dishes made by our customers as well, so say hello and share what you've recently dished up the next time you stop in!
Chances are you'll run into Merriya if you stop by the shop, restocking the shelves or putting out new recipes for you to snag. When she's not making sure the shelves are stocked, she's making sure to provide sneak peeks of food we cook and different recipes on our social media. Merriya loves being able to support local small businesses and is always eager to hear about what's going on in the neighborhood. Let her know what you've been cooking or where to find good eats the next time you stop by!
Most of our products are kosher, with very few exceptions. The following products are NOT kosher: Alaea Hawaiian Red Sea Salt and Bacon Sea Salt.
Monday to Friday – 9:30am – 5:30pm
Saturday – 10:00am – 4:00pm
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