Visit the Shop In Store link to request a private shopping appointment.
We’re committed to shopping small for you.
We’re neighbors helping neighbors.
Welcome Home is proudly located in the historic Arts & Entertainment district of Chestertown, MD and Annapolis, MD (Coming May 2021). We‘re proud supporters of our local Main Street organizations and small business associations.
Our charitable giving focuses on education, food access, animal welfare, long-term economic development and sustainability in the communities where our stores are located.
We assess all philanthropic and giving requests against our areas of interest. This allows us to direct the most funds possible to enable more meaningful giving. To submit a request, please contact us at info@chesterrivergourmet.com.
We aspire to help you build a more restful home.
We believe that practical can also be pretty and fun to use. The items you’ll find in our store help you cook, clean, and relax. We carry a diverse collection of cooking tools and kitchen linen, tableware and table linen, bath and body products, cleaning tools, and home fragrance. We think “small first” when shopping, and then look for larger national brands when quality or availability apply.
Just as we ask you to shop small with us, we look for small-batch and domestically made products, and very special imported products, that are difficult to find here in the USA. Our baking pans are made in Ohio, our cast iron in Tennessee and Rhode Island, and our favorite kitchen linens in Michigan. All of our bath and body products are designed for sensitive skin, are environmentally friendly, and always cruelty free.
Through our commitment to shopping small, we’ve curated a unique collection of goods that are responsibly produced. These are the kitchen tools you’ll have for a lifetime. The gifts that that delight. The spoon that will mix your favorite cake batter. The towel you cannot wait to dry your hands with. We hope to inspire you to look for the beauty in the simple things we use to live, everyday.
This is our second, and favorite, career.
We’re management consultants by background, foodies, and retailers by passion. About six years ago we turned our passion into a business and opened the Chester River Wine & Cheese Company. Two years later we opened Welcome Home Chestertown, and in spring 2021 we’re opening Welcome Home Annapolis.
John’s expertise is in finance, supply chain, and process design. He consulted with E&Y and The North Highland Company prior to leaving his consulting career to open our first business, the Chester River Wine & Cheese Company. Jenn’s expertise is in helping companies succeed in times of change. Jenn was an organization development, change management, and communication consultant helping companies navigate big change. First with Accenture, then North Highland (hint, that’s where she and John fell madly in love), and finally, Aon. Jenn left consulting when we opened Welcome Home Chestertown to help grow, expand, and constantly shake up our business.
Together we make life fun. John’s passionate about wine and store operations. Jenn’s the design nerd. We both cook a pretty fantastic dinner and love to host a good cocktail party.
Our stores are our home.
Every guest who walks through our door is treated with dignity and respect. We maintain a zero harassment workplace. We kindly ask the same of our customers. This policy extends beyond our doors to social media. Harassment and bullying of any kind are not tolerated. As employers we strive to create a positive and professional environment where everyone is welcome.
The first thing you can expect when you walk through our door is a big hearty, “Welcome!” We appreciate that customers, and our employees, have a choice in where they shop and work. It is our job to create a warm, friendly, positive environment where questions and knowledge are welcome and shared.