Where Food Meets Fashion
There was a time when food was just food. Saucepans were saucepans, cutlery was cutlery and kitchens were just … well … kitchens. But things are changing.
Guatemala City’s popular household and garden store House & Green is fast turning local cocinas into catwalks where trashcans and wooden spoons deserve their place on the culinary runway.
Since its opening nearly 10 years ago, the store has quickly become the place to shop for trendy kitchen gadgets and fancy crockery, with restaurants across the country stocking up on its stylish glassware and sleek designs. But the appeal doesn’t stop there. House & Green has built its reputation on its ability to cater to all food fanatics—from housewives to head chefs—blurring the boundaries between professional institutions and home kitchens. Regular customers even visit from as far away as Honduras and El Salvador to purchase the latest in both fashionable and practical cooking utensils.
“People come to House & Green for brands, variety and prices,” says Administrator Beatriz de Castillo. “Some of the city’s most important chefs shop here and recommend us to their students. Many of our customers hope to have their own restaurant someday, whereas others just enjoy cooking.”
It is hard to tell whether it’s because of the influx of cooking programs on TV or because of the wide range of culinary products now available on supermarket shelves, but food has become fashionable and House & Green is certainly keeping up with the trend.
It is the only store in Guatemala to import a selection of the industry’s leading international brands such as Brabantia and Tramontina—which it then sells to other shops around the city—and if you are into your cooking, you will know these names come highly recommended!
Whether you need a cauldron-sized, 160-liter cooking pot or a more user-friendly oven pan, House & Green offers both alongside one another. Its range of red and purple kitchenware allows you to color coordinate your kitchen; even if you don’t like cooking it’s hard not to be inspired by some of the products.
Ever eaten bumblebee pancakes or beehive-shaped spongecake? The quirky selection of cake tins will leave you feeling enthused when it comes to planning children’s birthday parties.
If you love garlic but hate the smell of it lurking on your fingers, then meet the odorless garlic peeler, which crushes cloves and removes the skin without putting you in direct contact with the bulb.
As well as boasting a vast range of items, the shop also has a vast range of prices. The heftiest price tag belongs to a six-person, glass dining table that comes in at Q8,800, whereas a rather more modest glass tea light holder will set you back just Q9.
With its eclectic mix of garden furniture, artwork and curtains upstairs and everything you could ever need to equip your kitchen downstairs, House & Green’s two stores are giving homes across the country a facelift.