Sponsored by Pepper’s Foods / Impress Branded Content
With sunny skies overhead, spring’s arrival brings more than beach weather. It also signals the start of the lengthy growing season here on Vancouver Island.
And whether you’re picking up locally caught fish for the barbecue or crunchy, good-for-you greens for a picnic lunch, you won’t go wrong with Island-grown.
“At Pepper’s Foods, a family-owned, independent store, local is has always been our focus,” says Don Way, store manager at Pepper’s Foods in Cadboro Bay village. “We can meet the farmers, bakers and artisans behind the flavours so our customers know they are getting the freshest, highest-quality items available. When local supports local it encourages growth and creates a tightly knit community we are proud to be a part of.”
So what Island flavours are on Way’s shopping list this spring? Here’s 10 to try:
• No. 1: Free-range chickens and eggs – Start your day the local way with eggs – and chicken! – from Saanich’s family-run Kildonan Farm.
• No. 2: Fresh granola and bread – Breakfast is even better with handcrafted bread and granola, baked fresh by Moulin Vert, founded on Saturna Island and now in Victoria.
• No. 3: Water buffalo yogurt – Direct from Courtenay, the family-owned McLintock’s Farm produces the highest quality yogurt from their own ethically raised, grass-fed herd of water buffalo.
• No. 4: Tomatoes – Enjoy fruit picked fresh daily from Glanford Greenhouse, a family-run grower so close to Pepper’s it takes just minutes to deliver. Perfect for a summer salad!
• No. 5: Tim’s Microgreens – Try this tasty addition to your plate, grown in Saanich by Tim, Victoria’s original “microgreen master.”
• No. 6: Ethically raised pork – Choose ethically raised pork products from Berryman Farm, a custom butchery in Saanich and true farm-to-table option.
• No. 7: Wild salmon – Taste the difference local makes with wild salmon from The Fishery. Family-owned and operated by a local fisherman, find only the highest-quality salmon caught in local waters, then packed and processed right here on the Island.
• No. 8: Gluten-free goodness – With a name like Laughing Daughters, you know it’s delicious! Find whole grain, gluten-free baked goods produced with care on Salt Spring Island. One of the few fresh, quality, gluten-free local bakeries to be found.
• No. 9: Fudge! – As seen at the Emmy’s and the Oscars, savour small-batch, unique flavours from Sooke’s Fudge in a Round – decadent, handmade and found in just a few select Victoria stores.
• No. 10: Fresh flowers – Pick up beautiful greenhouse-grown flowers from Brentwood Bay’s Eurosa Farms, growers with a focus on sustainability and family.
***
Committed to local and ethically sourced products, Pepper’s Foods is open daily in Cadboro Bay Village. Find same-day home delivery, daily savings for students and special seniors’ days Tuesday and Wednesday.