When the local Farmers Market is not open, Urban Fare Kelowna offers the next best thing! So much more than a supermarket, Urban Fare has become a unique shopping experience allowing shoppers a choice of as many local products as possible. Not just meats and produce either – store manager Todd Henry and his dedicated team have sourced an incredible array of products from local artisans as well as farmers.
For example, in the bakery section of the store, it is thrilling to see the gorgeous baguettes and loaves created by one of our favorite local bakers Monika Walker of Okanagan Grocery Artisan Bread. Delivered fresh daily, Monika’s organic artisan bread is the highest possible quality. Make sure to take note of her famous Bernard Callebaut Chocolate bread! Monika the Baker (as she is affectionately known) has two other locations with her main Bake Shop at 115-1979 Windsor Road and her flagship mini market at Guisichan Village 2355 Gordon Drive. www.okanagangrocery.com
Next door to the bread display, you will find a glass counter worthy of Paris. And I’m not kidding – renowned local chocolatier and pastry chef Sandrine Martin-Raffault is the Parisian dessert artist who is filling those shelves with her exquisite creations. From macaroons and pear croissants to decadent small and large cakes as well as her signature chocolates and pretty chocolate bars, you will forget that you are in a large store instead of a patisserie. Sandrine’s French Pastry & Chocolate is located at 1865 Dilworth Drive. www.sandrinepastry.com
Little Creek Salad Dressings is truly an Okanagan success story as well as being a pioneer in the local artisanal food production world. Little Creek’s creator Donna Denison is a well-loved member of our food and farm community and continues to make magic with her salad dressings that are made on her beautiful organic farm in West Kelowna. Now with three other varieties: Spicy Strawberry, Cherry Balsamic and Okanagan Caesar added to her Original super selling dressing repertoire, one can enchant every salad with a taste of organic Little Creek magic. www.littlecreekdressing.com
Urban Fare offers a large deli, coffee bean bar and also has the largest variety of cheeses in the Okanagan – many local. The in-store restaurant is always busy with a huge variety of delicious cuisine to choose from – eat in or take out. This year the addition of a patio space has been created offering a lovely option to dine al fresco. And they are licensed!! Of course, local wines are on the menu with favorites from The View Winery and Tantalus Vineyards.
To celebrate our beloved farmers and local artisan community, Urban Fare is proud to announce real Farmers Market days scheduled for September 7th and 8th in the parking lot outside. Come out and meet some of Urban Fare’s farmers and suppliers and have the chance to buy direct! Farmers like Brian Harper and Ben Davidson from Salmon Arm whose family corn farm keeps the corn stack in Urban Fare’s produce section piled high when in season. The corn comes from their Stinking Rows Garlic Farm. Brian is a Professional Agrologist who, along with his wife Alana and family, have been growing sweet corn on their environmentally sustainable land in the Shuswap for over 15 years with a family history of farming for well over 100 years!
This is a supermarket that I can feel good about supporting. I love the staff, I love the layout and I love their philosophy to support all things local!
~ Jennifer Schell