Welcome! Chef owner & founder, Jess here.
My health journey truly began in 2007 when I was struggling as a freshman in college with horrible migraine headaches multiple days a week. After talking with an old family friend, I tried cutting out dairy from my diet and POOF! No more migraines!!
Plus, I noticed my skin started to get clearer and stomach issues eased.
I had already stopped eating red meat in high school for no major reason other than I didn’t really like it. I always leaned more toward turkey or veggie burgers, etc.
At that point there weren’t many dairy free options that weren’t soy. I call this part my “soy depression”. I started eating soy milk, soy yogurt, soy cheese, etc. in place of dairy and I plummeted into a pretty intense depressive period. But I knew I wasn’t depressed. It was really bad and affecting my relationships, school work, and overall quality of life.
Another conversation with the same family friend (we love you Molly) suggested trying to cut out soy. You know what comes next. I was no longer crying in my closet or over my shadow.
At this point I was working at the food coop in Ithaca, NY and in time learned gluten and eggs were also causing major issues for me. The more I cleaned up my diet, the more sensitive I was to the things that were bothering me. This all took a few years.
I ended up shifting my studies to focus on food as medicine within the lens of medical anthropology & archeoethnobotany. I worked on local organic CSA farms, at the farmers market, continued at the local food coop, and ended up moving to Belize in the winter of 2012 to study and work alongside the late Polo Romero, a traditional Mayan healer establishing a plant medicine trail on a small locally owned eco-tourism resort.
I moved to Southern Vermont to live off grid & work on a small farm 20 minutes outside of Brattleboro. That summer I completed an herbal apprenticeship, my certification as a holistic health coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and volunteered 4 hours a week on a local organic farm.
Opening the doors at Superfresh! came in September 2012 when we decided to stay in the area and I was struggling finding anywhere I could eat. At that time there weren’t many vegan restaurants, let alone 100% gluten-free &/or organic. Almost unheard of! And many still would be heaped up with soy and gluten. Things that would make my body way too sick.
I’ve always loved hosting potlucks, cooking for friends & family, and serving DELICIOUS nourishing foods (& beverages).
It’s been a wild journey and I am so grateful for each day we are able to continue serving this food in community.
We look forward to seeing you soon & thank-you so much for all your support over the years!
Jess
Established 2012.
Awarded “Best Vegetarian Cuisine” by Yankee Magazine, Superfresh! Organic Café is an organic, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, allergen-friendly restaurant based in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. We are on a mission to change the way we eat and how we think about food consumption; both on how consumption impacts our personal health and that of the planet.
Superfresh! provides high quality seasonal, organic plant-based cuisine with the vast majority of the menu made from scratch. Offerings range from superfood elixirs, coffee, fresh pressed juice, smoothies, snacks, raw and baked desserts, raw foods, brunch, lunch, and dinner items. Every ingredient meets our standards of 100% non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, egg-free, vegetarian. We source from local and regional farms whenever possible and work closely with all of our vendors to know where each ingredient is coming from, always searching for the best source possible.
Beyond the food we work to make sure all aspects of our business are in alignment with our greater mission. We also work to support sustainable models of production, distribution, waste and recycling wherever possible to minimize our environmental footprint and create a positive ripple in our community. All of our take-out containers and utensils are compostable. We work with local artists featuring a new display of visual artwork every other month, host live music, use local pottery for serving and displaying our food and beverages, and source local lumber for shelving and seating.
The café also features a small retail area featuring shelf-stable specialty food items, original handcrafted gifts, educational material, and holistic body-care products.