Purity Supreme was, no doubt a major player in the local chain supermarkets, but seemed to disappear overnight. They were located everywhere and better stocked than most other supermarkets, in my opinion. When I was living in Winchester (no, I am not rich, just rented an apartment on Washington St.), I would frequently buy my groceries at Purity Supreme. For some reason, it was always easier to get in and out of there -- although if Purity Supreme was around today, it would probably be congested like other markets with people clogging up the isles by talking or texting on their cell phones, daydreaming or just coming to a complete standstill for no apparent reason. I think the Winchester Purity Supreme was open 24 hours a day -- remember buying Yodels at a very good price very late at night. I believe that Purity also owned Heartland Foods, which was more of a warehouse type of market.
Too bad Purity Supreme closed. While I like Stop and Shop, Hannaford, Shaw's, Roche Brothers, and the Big Y for various reasons, Purity Supreme and I seemed more compatible. You don't appreciate a good business until it's gone, I suppose!
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Purity was an offshoot of Supreme Markets. Remember them?
ReplyDeleteYes. I worked there while getting my BS.
DeleteAlways used to shop at Purity in West Peabody growing up. Then they opened a bigger super-sized store on Route 114 on the Danvers/Peabody line. Then less than 10 years later, they were gone.
ReplyDeleteI used to shop at the one in West Peabody too! Back in 1974.
DeleteThey made THE BEST chocolate chip cookies. I have so many fond memories of going shopping with my parents, with the promise of a cookie from the bakery if I behaved. :) I wish I could get a hold of that recipe!
ReplyDeleteOMG!! Me too, they were the best
DeleteYes those cookies were awesome and what was even more awesome was I used to make them! They were made from a dry mix, and then we ran the dough through a Rhodes Kook E King.
DeleteI worked at the Bedford Store. When Purity went bye bye it morphed into stop and shop-natures heartland-bread and circus-and now whole foods. All in the same location.
ReplyDeletei lived in bedford and shopped there all the time. the baguetts were to die for and that's where i discovered rainier cherries! marshalls was great too.
DeleteI was stationed at NAS South Weymouth from 1987-1992 and I remember a Purity Supreme close by the base
ReplyDeleteI worked for 3 mos as bagger, then cashier in 82-83, while going to RETS on Comm. Ave., nice bunch of people to work for .
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Heartland Drug at Fresh Pond, Cambridge and rt. 107 Salem as well as some of the other stores including Pharmacity in Medford and Charlestown. Purity was bought by Supermarkets General Corporation in 1985 or 1986 as a means of that company expanding into the NE market. Although they were a good company to work for I think they expanded too fast and couldn't hold it together. They sold the drug division (Heartland Drug and Pharmacity) to CVS in 1987 and then sold the supermarkets to Stop and Shop some time after that.
ReplyDeleteWould love to get that chocolate chip cookie recipe. I remember going there as a child , Bedford location, i think beside Dorothy Ruth cosmetics! Ah! That warm bag of cookies, does anyone know the recipe they used????
ReplyDeleteI worked at Heartland Drug in Framingham
ReplyDeleteI drove for purity supreme for 5 years out of the Charlestown produce warehouse then out of Billerica at the new and final location
ReplyDeleteMy dad worked at purity for 29 years
DeleteI worked at Heartland Drug in Framingham in the 80's
ReplyDeleteIt was my first job in 1993, it was a great company to work for.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Purity from 1976- 1980. Started as a management trainee in Chelmsford, Asst. Manager in Peabody and Beverly, ran the Andover and Brocton Stores. Became Training Manager for Pharmacity.
ReplyDeleteHi y'all!! Still looking for that chocolate cookie recipe!! I read that post where they said they used a dry mix and it's probably something very basic and very simple and very cheap but there definitely was a distinct flavor that set them apart from any other cookie I have ever had so what was it??!
ReplyDeleteI drove produce for purity in both Charlestown and North Billerica
ReplyDeleteand retired when supermarket General took over. Sure do miss their
stores.