Chris Therrien
Central Vermont will soon have a new market option for fresh seafood with the arrival of State Street Seafood and Meat, at 146 State Street in Montpelier. Chef Shannon Bates, proprietor of Enna and Enna Gelato, expects her most recent project to open sometime in December or early January.
“I’m really excited to finally bring fresh seafood to our community,” Bates says. “I’ve thought Montpelier has needed this for some time now. Being a few hours from the coast, we should have access to fresh fish.”
The fish and shellfish offered at State Street Seafood and Meat will be hand-selected at markets and docks from Maine to Rhode Island, depending on the season and local demand, Bates says. Bates plans to drive to the coast in her recently purchased refrigerated Transit van to meet local fisher people to obtain their freshest catch. Having spent several years working as a private chef on yachts, Bates has considerable experience procuring seafood at its source and cooking it.
“I’ve purchased and prepared seafood along the coast of Croatia in the Adriatic, islands and ports throughout the Mediterranean, and the entirety of the Caribbean from Grenada to the Bahamas,” Bates says. “Later on, I also spent a couple of seasons on a yacht in New England, and found I was blown away by the quality of our local fish as compared to the rest of the world.” And, hence, the idea for a fresh local seafood market developed.
Along with fresh seafood, in-house butchered meat (a selection of beef, chicken, and pork) will be available with a focus on freshness, quality, and affordability, as well as customer preferences.
“The possibilities are endless as far as dry-aging, whole animal butchery, charcuterie production, bacon, and so on,” Bates says. “But a lot of what we produce and focus on will ultimately be dictated by local demand and what the customers want.”
To complement the meat and seafood offerings, Bates will sell house-made sundries such as dressings, sauces, and marinades, as well as beer and wine, “with the possibility of more grab-and-go prepared food items in the future,” she says.
Upon entering the market, customers will find items displayed behind glass refrigerated deli counters. Windows on a side wall will offer a view into the seafood preparation room where patrons can see their fish being cleaned, cut into filets, steaks, and portions ready for purchase. A modern production kitchen in the back will eventually serve to expand Bate’s existing catering business.
Along with its functional uses, the building holds even more significance with regard to Montpelier’s susceptibility to future flooding.
“One of the most exciting things about this project is that this building is built to flood,” Bates reveals. “My current business, Enna, on State Street, was greatly impacted by the 2023 flood, so this new building’s built-to-flood design was inspired by my having gone through that difficult experience.”
With the assistance of Mike Foster of Malone Properties, Bates designed the entire facility with an eye towards flood resiliency. Its walls are covered with mold-resistant sheetrock reinforced with durable, coated metal studs for enhanced corrosion resistance. The concrete floors have been sealed with water-repellent epoxy, and raised electrical outlets further enhance the building’s ability to withstand the effects of future flooding.
“The whole building is built out of brick and cinderblock, and all of the systems: heating and air conditioning are now up on the roof,” she says.
Such a design will undoubtedly become the standard for Montpelier’s flood-prone buildings going forward. “The built-to-flood construction of the building has given me a lot of hope about the future of Montpelier,” Bates says.
