Just ask where the food in the Bench Artisan Food Market’s kitchen comes from and owners Stewart and Heather Glynes will be happy to tell you. In fact, Stewart – also the Bench’s executive chef – probably knows the farmer on a first name basis.
“It’s nice when a customer comes up and asks us where we get our eggs from and I can name off two or three farms,” says Stewart. “It gives them confidence, too.”
Some of the delicious cheeses found in the Bench’s breakfasts and lunches come from Jerseyland Organics, a dairy farm in Grand Forks. The artisan farm’s products are made from 100% certified organic jersey milk and its owners believe in the humane treatment of its animals.
Another local BC supplier, Two Rivers Specialty Meats, provides the Bench with proteins that are free of antibiotics, hormones and chemical feed additives. For example, beef comes from a Cache Creek farm where cows have a vast acreage to roam, and free-run poultry is from the Fraser Valley. The products are used in everything from sandwiches to take-home shepherd’s pie and lasagna.
Stewart says, “We set ourselves apart by working directly with farmers and local suppliers, and planning our seasonal menus around their offerings.”
“It all comes down to using local, ethical, sustainable ingredients in the kitchen – both for our customers and as a part of the wider food community.”
And if you want Two Rivers meats for your own cooking at home too, choose from a selection of their retail products, now available at the Bench.
~ Wade Paterson