Whisk, a kitchen specialty shop at 1114 Pleasant Street in Worcester, is the spot to find and stock up on your kitchen essentials. The shop carries a wide variety of products, with new products arriving every week. Owner and Fitchburg native Kerrie Johnson opened the shop in October 2011, and it’s been going strong ever since, relocating from Paxton to its current shop in Tatnuck Square about eight months ago.

“I’ve known ever since I was a teen I wanted to do something with food,” Johnson said. “As a kid, I would cook with my dad three times a week. We would watch Julia Child and travel to Scotland to visit my grandmother, and we’d go visit food trucks. But then life gets in the way, and I ended up working in marketing and sales for 25 years, then that job ended.”

Having worked since she was 15, Johnson wasn’t sure what her next step would be until her husband asked a very important question. “My husband said, ‘What have you always wanted to do? What’s your dream? You have the time now,’ he said. It was then that I knew,” she said.

It took Johnson two months to even consider actually pursuing her dream, but within six months, after much research, finding a location and products, Whisk was born and her dream came to life.

“It’s been a great adventure. I learn something new every day,” Johnson said.

At Whisk, you can find all of your kitchen needs. Essentials like cutlery sets, shears, cutting boards, sharpeners, can openers, colanders, barware and more are all offered.

Looking for cookware and bakeware? Whisk has you covered.

You can find such items as pizza stones, tart and quiche pans, muffin and cake pans, griddles, fry pans, double broilers, French ovens and more!

Whisk also has a wide variety of coffee and tea essentials like espresso machines, kettles, teas and tea sugars. Some other great additions to your kitchen include a selection of Whisk’s provisions such as spices, extracts, spreads, dipping oils, relishes, chocolate and popcorn.

Be sure to also check out Whisk’s specialty gift baskets, bridal gift registry and a specialized children’s section!

On Whisk’s website, be sure to visit the “What’s Cookin’” section to read about the latest news, information and discounts the shop has to offer. Here you can also find recipes of the month, a photo gallery and product spotlights!

As for what’s in store for the future of Whisk, Johnson has a lot planned. “We used to do a cookbook club, and I would like to bring that back. We would meet once a month, and we’d bring in items we made from the cookbook!” she said.

Johnson also plans to expand the shop and add a cooking area. “We would have a chef here to lead cooking classes. We have so many customers that come in and ask things like ‘How do I prepare this?’ or ‘What does this mean?’ It would be an opportunity to learn from a chef, feel confident about cooking and learn basic skills with others who feel similarly,” Johnson said.

Johnson is very proud of Whisk and seeing her childhood dream flourish. “I think what makes Whisk special is the personalized attention our customers get. We are a small shop and there is a sense of intimacy, which customers love,” she said.

Be sure to visit Whisk, 1114 Pleasant St., Worcester, 10a.m.- 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday or visit whiskkitchenshop.com.

By Rachel Shuster