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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie De La Garza Recently re-opened, the Country Kettle has been a welcome addition to County shopping, featuring a wide selection of antiques and collectables, all for sale in a comfortable, cottage atmosphere. Shown here is co-owner of the Country Kettle Mike Pelletier. |
By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
WOODLAND — Re-opening its doors for the first time in over five years, loyal customers of the Country Kettle are pleased to once more have their favorite little shopping nook back in business.
Located about five miles northeast of downtown Caribou, up 161 past the Caribou Country Club and a left turn at the County Kettle sign, the quaint little store is nestled in the dooryard of the Pelletiers’ farmhouse and has been a family business for decades.
Mike Pelletier of Woodland and his girlfriend/business partner Danette Madore of Caribou are responsible for the revival of County Kettle, and there’s been a good number of happy customers through the store since it opened.
While the shoppers clearly enjoy the handmade, rustic items and antiques, the Country Kettle also offers a unique shopping experience with its non-crowded, comfortable atmosphere.
“It’s cozy, and that’s what everyone likes about it,” Pelletier said.
One customer, for instance, came out to the Country Kettle on Nov. 29 — Black Friday — and openly expressed to Pelletier how much she loved shopping at the little store.
“The lady said she didn’t do Black Friday — but this was her Black Friday,” Pelletier described.
No matter how hectic shopping centers get this time of the year, County Kettle offers the same comfortable atmosphere and diverse selection of products that it did when Pelletier’s mother, the late Nora Pelletier, ran the shop until about six years ago.
“She had the shop since at least 30 years, because I can remember as a kid lugging this stuff to trade fairs, craft fairs, and making stuff,” he said with a fond smile.
His mother, he said, had a passion for antiques and home-made crafts, and “she loved making her collection.”
Though Pelletier is a welder and fabricator by trade, who specializes in creating custom made bikes, he learned a lot from his mother over the years and puts that knowledge back into Country Kettle — though he credits Madore with the shop’s warm, comfortable atmosphere.
“She places all the dishes and the items — I’m just kind of the guy who lugs it all,” he said.
While there are plenty of delicate items to place, from oil lamps to ornaments, there are also larger pieces for sale.
Hand-crafted tables, decorative fences and benches all hand-made by Pelletier are also featured at the store, as well as a collection of antique pieces that even come with their own small history lessons.
At 92 years old, Maynard Pelletier serves as the in-house historian for the antique pieces, and Mike Pelletier listens readily as his dad tells stories about how various tools were used nearly a century ago.
“It’s neat talking to a man who’s old enough that he used this,” Mike said, holding in his hand a ruler-length antique tool that was once used to set teeth on a cross-cut saw.
Whether it’s antiques, home-made stockings or a unique gift for the holidays, County Kettle offers customers a place to come and shop in a home-like store that’s off the beaten path — and is far from commercialized.
“We have a lot of antiques, a lot of items that we make — like back what it used to be,” Pelletier said.
Country Kettle is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. The shop can also be open for appointments, which can be made by calling 551-4357.
