By Anna Robertson Ham

Herban Market opened its doors in 2015 and has since become a staple in healthy eating for the community. Herban Market is owned by Ashlea and Matt Hogancamp and commits to offering easier access to quality products and a trusted source for individuals and families wanting an option for clean eating. “We wanted an organic market and health food store packed with fully-vetted, quality products and foods making it more convenient to access,” says Ashlea. “It’s all organically-grown foods, pasture-raised meats, 100% grass-fed beef and bison, sustainably-sourced wild-caught seafood, and hand-selected items that are the cleanest and highest quality available in the world.”

 

Herban Market’s vast menu is all made from scratch and offers everything from an organic coffee bar to smoothies and frozen kombucha, to biodynamic wines and craft beers, to tacos and salads and burgers. “The restaurant doesn’t contain soy, canola oil, MSG, preservatives, artificial dyes or colors, artificial sweeteners or additives,” says Ashlea. “We’re always listening to what our community wants from Herban Market – and the volume of guests visiting each day continues to exceed our expectations. So, we’re working REALLY hard to navigate and serve everyone the best we can! With a crazy, 

talented new Executive Chef Bobby Benjamin, Pastry Chef Nate and Chef de Cuisine Erick, we’ve been hard at work to expand the pastry program, menu availability and new creations, and begin to provide even more options.”

I recently met with Ashlea and Matt, as well as Bobby, to learn more about his background and see what’s new on the menu. Bobby has brought his experience and creativity to the menu, making tweaks and additions. Chatting with him, I learned about where the roots for his passion for cuisine started – working at a restaurant in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, with women who raised him in the kitchen and taught him about cooking. Over the years, he has worked in many eateries, opened a restaurant, and has gathered a seasoned background of knowledge to bring to his current team and patrons. He also gathers inspiration from his team and their different cultures and walks of life. He appreciates the value of what they contribute to the overall desire to provide the best food possible. “Anytime I’m thinking of a new dish, first and foremost, I always want to respect culture and use the best cooking technique and ingredients,” explains Bobby. “As far as my style of cooking, I would describe it as going on an adventure with my ingredients to bring an elevated level of excitement and intrigue to the table.”

 

When I met with Bobby at Herban Market, I asked him what he enjoyed most about being a part of the team, and he said simply: “It’s different here. The love, care and attention I put into my dishes, is due to the gift of those things being given to me by personally working here. I am able to authentically share those gifts with the world and to love on people through elevated ingredients and teach others to have a relationship with what they eat.” 

 

During my visit, I tried several items from the menu, including from the coffee bar, bakery and menu. First up was the Golden Milk Latte, made with golden milk mix, whole milk, honey and cinnamon, as well as the Matcha Latte, made with organic DoMatcha Summer Harvest matcha green tea, whole milk, honey and cinnamon. Both were delicious and will hit the spot depending on if you are a coffee drinker or a tea drinker. The new coffee bar also offers several options of beautiful pick-me-up drinks (or non-caffeinated if preferred). 

 

From the bakery, I tried the Blueberry Scone with Lemon Curd and the White Chocolate Cranberry Bar. I have since craved both delectable treats. The scone is gluten-free and probably the best I have ever had, and paired with the lemon curd to dip in…pure heaven. The White Chocolate Cranberry Bar, which is also gluten-free, is topped with white chocolate morsels and cranberries.

 

A new menu item I tried was the Farmhouse  Kale with shaved kale, pasturized shaved chicken, black currants, toasted walnuts, mint, pecorino Romano and a housemade citrus buttermilk dressing. It was fresh and light, as well as earthy and filling.

 

Next up was my favorite from the tasting… The Arugula Sausage Pizza. This individual-sized pizza has ricotta whip, fennel sausage from pastured pork, caramelized fennel, house-made pickled onions, and is topped with arugula, lemon juice, maldon salt and olive oil on the house-made wheat crust. So delicious and would please not only pizza lovers but those with palates that want a little adventure in their regular pizza pie. 

 

After that, I tried the Carne Asada Tacos with house-made heirloom corn tortillas, grass-fed Wagyu flat iron steak, roasted onions, raw onion, cilantro, avocado and house-made roasted tomatillo salsa. That tomatillo sauce… WOW! Incredible authentic flavor with a kick and perfectly paired together is the best way to describe this dish. 

 

Lastly, I tasted the Salmon Burger. This filling burger is created with wild-caught Alaskan salmon, house-made remoulade sauce, house-made pickled onions, arugula, spiralized cucumber, avocado and a house-made bun. It was served with a side of apple kale slaw, giving it savory and sweet, satisfying flavors. I love burgers, especially those outside the bun – pun intended. So, a salmon burger that has a medley of flavors and is served as a huge portion checks all the boxes. 

Herban Market is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. I highly recommend dining at Herban Market, shopping at Herban Market, visiting the staff at Herban Market… Just go there as soon as you can to check it out! They have expanded their space to include The Pantry at Herban Market with more offerings such as breads, pastries, desserts, grab and gos, take and bakes, family meals and catering. Ashlea says their mission is simple: To serve people really good food, products and experience. “The world is quite toxic – our air, our water, our soil, our food and even our social fabric and communities. We want to help heal in every way possible through food and hospitality.”