A year ago, Steven Sprague took on the new role of Chief Executive Officer of Cooking at the S&S Marketplace in West Boylston after spending nine years as Executive Chef at Harrington Farm, a popular wedding venue in Princeton.

Sprague says he was ready to put his restaurant experience and passion for food at the service of S&S, bringing the elements of comfort food and home cooking to the new line of “high quality take out” food. .

“I am more than grateful for the years I spent in local kitchens,” said Sprague, “but for me personally, I was at the point in my life where I needed a change.”

These days, he’s not the only one when it comes to chefs looking for new options. For some chefs, it could be pandemic fatigue, while others want to drop the line, Sprague said. Chefs are hardworking, dedicated and passionate about what they do, and they work long hours. It’s not as easy as the cooking shows sometimes make it seem, he said. Her new job gives her weekends off and more free time.

Sprague held positions at Nashoba Valley Winery Restaurant in Bolton (15 years) and early in his career at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., And former Shorah’s Ristorante on Park Avenue in Worcester. Sprague was employed in former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in the late 1990s when he graduated from the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach. He recalls preparing food used by Trump and club members on flights from Palm Beach. “I saw Trump come and go but never met him,” Sprague said.

He said he first heard that Josh Bailey, owner of S&S along with his wife, Erin Bailey, was looking to hire a chef over the phone. “I had used S&S as a wholesale supplier and talked to Josh a lot,” Sprague said. “We had never met in person until he told me about the chef position, and I said I was interested and available.”

The Cookery is S&S’s new kitchen that Sprague helped plan. It took six months to build it, he said, calling it a chef’s dream come true. “New equipment, large fully loaded kitchen area. ”

The Cookery offers “Raised Meals in Small Batches” that range from the popular lasagna Bolognese to barbecued smoked pulled pork and peppers stuffed with vegan risotto. Classic dishes include chicken piccata, chicken parmigiana, Swedish meatballs, oven-ready meatloaf, three-cheese macaroni, artisan stromboli, calzone, stuffed pizza, soups and salads. Smoked beef brisket was a recent chef’s specialty. Fresh focaccia (garlic parmesan) is available daily. Take-out meals are available in the S&S delicatessen. The same goes for a few desserts from Sprague. He alluded to chocolate covered strawberries as a romantic dessert for Valentine’s Day.

S&S owners understand the importance of customer feedback to a successful business, Sprague said. Chefs love to put new things on their menu but it’s really the customer who dictates it, he said. “It’s about customer satisfaction. ”

Sprague doesn’t have to go far for the ingredients. It uses meats from S & S’s Butcher Shoppe (which recently started offering dry-aged meats) and fresh produce and herbs from the S&S Farm Stand, located opposite the market. “Everything is fresh everyday,” said Sprague, whose menu is ready to offer simplicity and variety in meals. S&S buys from local businesses such as Berlin Orchards in Berlin and Smith’s Country Cheese in Winchendon, and supports local fundraisers, he said.

The chef grew up in Fitchburg and studied Culinary Arts at Newbury College in Brookline. He remembers his first job in a restaurant was washing dishes and, like other chefs, he worked his way up to executive chef. His wife, Danielle Sprague, is also a chef and director of food services at the Dr. Franklin Perkins School in Lancaster. The couple live in Leominster.

The biggest influences in Sprague’s life have been his mother and grandfather. “At a young age, I was always curious about what my mom was cooking in the kitchen,” Sprague said. “My grandfather would show me around his gardens, and his family lots of homemade meatballs or stuffed grape leaves were often in the slow cooker. These aromas were ingrained in me very early on, ”said Sprague,“ and now I have his (grandfather) vine growing in the backyard.

In his spare time, Sprague rides a Harley Davidson with the Leominster Eagle Riders and participates and cooks at local fundraisers. His hobby is “barbecuing on the outdoor grill at the house”. Sprague is a member of the Société Les Amis d’Escoffier, New England Joseph Donon chapter.

S&S is located at 307 West Boylston Street (Route 12), West Boylston. Visit www.ssmarketplace.com for more information on schedules, The Cookery, Delicatessen, Butcher Shoppe and Farm Stand. Telephone: (508) 835-9989; connect to social networks. Custom catering is available. Note: Bailey purchased S&S Farms and Deli in 2008.

I did some shopping and some shopping at S&S after interviewing Sprague, aka Chef SS at The Cookery. I had the best Aubergine Parmigiana! Can be eaten with a simple leaf salad, or enjoyed as an accompaniment to vegetables or as an appetizer, cut into squares (no sticky mess).

I say, “What’s not to love about a chef-inspired take-out meal? ”

Oishi plans to move to Main St.

Japanese restaurant Oishit, 8 Franklin St., is closed as the owners seek to relocate to 422 Main St., Worcester.

“We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to serving you in our new location,” is the Facebook post. Customers can expect new menu items when the business reopens. Log into Facebook or send an email to yummyoishi12@gmail.com.

Opening of the REC winter farmers markets

The 2022 Regional Environment Council (CER) Winter Mobile Farmers Market started this week, running until April.

Fresh, local produce will be brought to covered venues in Worcester, including the Worcester Youth Center, Green Hill Towers, New England Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist Church, Coes Pond Village and Elm Park Towers. There will also be a weekly stopover on Wednesdays at the Webster Housing Authority in Webster.

Visit www.recworcester.org/farmers-markets for the full program. All REC markets accept SNAP, Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), WIC, credit and debit cards, and cash.

“While we accept all forms of payment in our markets, we make special efforts to ensure consistent and secure access for SNAP beneficiaries in Worcester and Webster to use the benefits of the Healthy Incentives program,” said Grace Sliwoski, director of programs at REC. .

“The Healthy Incentives program offers up to $ 80 monthly in discounts for purchases of local products made with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). HIP provides a vital resource for Massachusetts families to stretch their food budgets with fresh fruits and vegetables while supporting our local farmers.

According to Project Bread, hunger rates in Massachusetts doubled during the pandemic, “making a record 19.6% of households food insecure at its peak.”

“Ensuring that our community members using SNAP have access to local produce through the HIP benefits is a critical part of meeting the food security needs of our community,” said Ashley Carter, REC Farmers Market Program Coordinator.

“The REC Markets is one of the few HIP friendly farmer’s markets in most of South Worcester County and the only one in Worcester during the winter months,” Carter said.

Masks must be worn in all REC markets.