A new market has just opened in the City of Pines.

But not to worry if you are a fan of the iconic Baguio City public market.

The Marketplace at Leonard Woods Terraces is not meant to compete but complement and supplement the popular market, a major tourist draw in the City of Pines.

For the gourmet, gourmand and restaurateur, Rustan’s Marketplace is probably the one-stop food and beverage store one has waited for in the summer capital.

Different countries are represented in its extensive selection of meats, dairy products and beverages, including a wide selection of wines, well-stocked delicatessen with ready-to-eat items.

The fresh produce section has farm-fresh items, as well as imported fruits and vegetables, that any cooking aficionado, chefs and cooking hobbyists, can hope for.

“We hope to capture both local and foreign tourists (in addition to local consumers) and help reestablish Baguio as a major tourist destination,” Bon Torres, director of corporate affairs for Rustan Supercenter Inc. (RSI), said.

First outside Manila

The Baguio store, designed with the shopper’s convenience in mind, is the first Marketplace to open outside Metro Manila where the chain already has 11 branches.

The next provincial branch will open in Iloilo City, which Torres describes as an “emerging market.”

“This is our first foray in Northern Luzon for our upscale supermarket brand. We are excited to bring this unique experience to Baguio shoppers,” said Arleen Aldaba, acting RSI chief executive officer.

Aldaba said the fresh produce is sourced from farmers, given the growing demand of consumers for farm-to-market products. The store will carry some of Baguio’s popular pasalubong, like the Dipasupil longganisa. Visitors who do not have the time to visit the public market can get what they need in the store.

Being close to Session Road, the city’s main road, makes Marketplace convenient for shoppers, Aldaba said.

“We try to anticipate what consumers want,” she added. “Filipinos are now exposed to a lot of foreign dishes” so the store will try to offer every ingredient customers might be looking for.

She assured customers that they will get at Marketplace the same product “quality and great service” Rustan’s is known for.

Ana Punongbayan, RSI assistant vice president for marketing, said they have a program to partner with farmers to ensure that produce goes straight from farm to supermarkets.

Marketplace will carry whatever people want to buy in Baguio. For items sourced outside of Baguio, she says stocks will be replenished thrice a week to make sure shelves are not left empty, and products are fresh.

With travel time to Baguio considerably shortened by the Subic-Clark-Tarlac and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union expressways, more people are revisiting the City of Pines. Marketplace may just help draw more people to the city, as foodies and culinary enthusiasts can now have access to almost everything they get in Metro Manila. –CONTRIBUTED

Visit www.rustansfresh.com; like @rustansfresh on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter