Odenton's Favorite New Business: Bear's Honeypot

A number of a new businesses opened in Odenton and Severn in 2012, but area residents have named one local shop as their overwhelming favorite. 

Bear's Honeypot, which sells a wide range of produce, cheese and other items from local producers, received the largest number of votes in an unscientific poll of Odenton-Severn Patch users. 

The store located on Odenton Road has been open for about six months and has been a favorite among area residents looking to shop local and find items that often aren't available anywhere else. 

Store owner Barret Lang said the store now has more than 400 Facebook likes, and has generated a positive reputation among those looking for local goods. Bear's Honeypot was recently accepted to have a stand at Union Market in Washington, DC.

Lang continues to organize farmers markets throughout the area, and hopes to put one in place at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Odenton. 

Lang said business has slowed a bit as the amount of fresh produce has dwindled with the onset of winter, but the store still has some fresh lettuce from Maryland and mushrooms from Pennsylvania, along with local garlic, onions and apples. 

Since opening, Bear's Honeypot has put in place a Community Supported Agriculture program, which allows customers to pre-order amounts of local produce each week. Customers can buy half-shares or whole shares, or could order "Bear's Share" which includes a free item such as cheese, eggs or bread. 

Lang said he now has a good handle on which products are in most demand. Milk, cider and honey are tough to keep on the shelves, he said. He's also added new local tortilla chips and salsa to satisfy customer demand.

"We just sort of change the product line toward what people want," he said. "We were running out of cider on a weekly basis, for instance, so we found a bunch of different local cider producers."

Creamed honey, jam and special breads are some of the hottest sellers, and Lang is especially proud of his selection of local cheeses.

Bear's Honeypot is located at 1113 Odenton Rd., Odentin. The store can be reached by calling 443-351-0118 or emailing thebearshoneypot@gmail.com .

Disclosure: Bear's Honeypot is an advertiser on Odenton-Severn Patch.

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