This year has been a big year for the Fruit Center. It has been celebrating its 40th anniversary by continuing to improve the quality of its offerings and service to the community. The Mignosa family, owners of the Fruit Center, are proud of the demonstrated success they’ve enjoyed over the past 12 months.

They established a series of cooking classes that drew hundreds of “students” to learn the professional kitchen secrets of chefs from such respected area restaurants as Davio’s, Alma Nove, Steele & Rye, The Plate, Ashmont Grill and Orta.

The Fruit Center has received recognition in half a dozen national grocery trade magazines from Gourmet News to Produce Retailer, with feature stories on the store’s interior, selection, operations and ethos. And the Boston Sunday Globe cited the Fruit Center as one of Boston’s Best Medium-Sized Places to Work, for the 2^nd year. The store has also been featured in the Patriot Ledger and other print and online news outlets, as well as several appearances on “All Things Food” on WATD-AM.

Recent visitors will have noticed a re-modeling of the fruit department ! Walls were removed from the flower shop, so that shoppers can now gaze upon the bountiful fruit and vegetable aisles immediately upon entering the store.

The store has also expanded its inventory of locally made products (never less than 50 or 60), including a new gluten-free line called Sammie’s Stuff, whose brownies, staff promises, are noteworthy.

Last but not least, the Fruit Center raised more than $8,000 last month during their annual drive to boost the coffers of almost a dozen Milton-area public and private schools.

Looking ahead to 2014, the Fruit Center’s monthly nutrition classes will be replaced by a roster of new and exciting events ranging from Meatball Mondays (Italian cooking classes with chef Nuno Alves of Tavolo, starting in February) to a hands-on kids cooking class in conjunction with CHOP CHOP Magazine, in the spring.