Visit Grove for everything from olive oil to chocolate

BELMONT — It is exactly as Regina Whelan envisioned. Various extra virgin and infused olive oils and balsamic vinegar line the walls and fill the tables in the middle of the store. Continuing toward the center brings shoppers to a display case of various chocolates.

Retirement is usually a time when someone is finished with working. But for Whelan, retirement is owning a chocolate shop, and now a second business, Grove, at Belknap Marketplace, specializing in chocolate as well as olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

After a lifelong career of marketing, Whelan wanted to do something new with her life. While she considered opening a business, she didn’t know where to start. After working at Ava Marie Chocolates in Peterborough, she realized just how much she loved the industry. Whelan, with her husband’s support, began thinking about taking ownership of the chocolate shop.

“We started looking and we wanted something that was slow. I didn't want it to be super stressful,” Whelan said. “We walked into the chocolate shop and fell in love. [But] it's none of those things. It's 365, seven days a week. it's super stressful.”

What kept Whelan motivated was experimentation. As owner of the shop, Whelan began thinking of different ways to improve her chocolate. One of those experiments was incorporating olive oil into some of her creations. Whelan believed olive oil was an all-natural, healthy way to infuse flavors. She would infuse lime or plum into the oil, which created bright flavors in the chocolate.

Whelan was already considering expanding her business to another location, and after her chocolate and olive oil pairing, she thought the second store would be a perfect way to expand her newfound interest.

“We always knew we wanted to open a second location selling the chocolate, and we decided, 'Why don't we put it all together at another store?'”

Some olive oil-infused chocolate flavors available at Grove are Positively Plum, Cinful Cinnamon, Tangy Raspberry, Orange Burst, Honey Ginger and Lime Light.

One of the draws of the store is allowing patrons to taste and sample the olive oil, either straight or with bread. This has allowed Whelan to show people why buying premium olive oil is worth it.

Olive oil has been proven to have many health benefits due to antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It is shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and even dementia in people who consume higher amounts of olive oil than those who use little or none, according to a Harvard Health study in 2021. It is also thought to reduce cholesterol.

“Sometimes, what you're getting on the shelf at a grocery store is more than a year old, and there's almost no antioxidant benefit left in there,” Whelan explained. “Especially if it's been merged with a filler oil. We proudly put our chemistry out on display, and you won't find that in our products.”

But Whelan says one of the best ways for people to use and understand the quality of her oil is to cook with it at home. With the wide selection of oils to pick from, it can be confusing for first-time buyers. Whelan displays recipes in the store that pair well with each olive oil. Using these as a guide can help make the decision easier.

“I would recommend they come in, take a look around at the recipes and they find something that they either cook at home or something similar,” Whelan said. “Let's say you’re a huge chicken fan, you do chicken all the time. You can take that recipe card home with you, and there it is. The butter-infused olive oil, the oregano-infused olive oil, you could try those.”

The store has earned lots of positive reviews.

“The warmth that we've received since we've opened, it's been amazing,” she said. "The reception has been off the charts. We're really blessed that way.”

As Christmas is coming next week, Whelan says her products are great gifts. Her biggest selling season is Valentine’s Day, because of the chocolate, but Whelan hopes people will consider purchasing an olive oil or balsamic vinegar. She's created certain pairings that are Valentine’s Day-themed. She calls one “Lover’s Quarrel.”

Grove also has Italian organic pastas, fresh olives and spice blends that Whelan labels herself.

Ultimately, passion is what drives Whelan as she expands her business. Despite being grown up, her exploration of chocolate and oil will always make her a “child in a candy shop,” and she thinks it will make anyone else who comes into her store feel the same.