Toronto Life Daily Dish

a recent report on Toronto Life Daily Dish

Rosedale will be strutting its foodstuffs this weekend with the much-anticipated reopening of its pish-posh Shops of Summerhill. Major renovations last summer (including structural reinforcement, new wiring and back-of-the house remodelling) restored the Victorian building that has housed the market for nearly 30 years. Four of the six stores are opening their revamped doors now; two other mainstays—Harvest Wagon and All the Best Fine Foods—have taken up temporary residence on-site until their turn at reincarnation next spring. We browsed through the new and refreshed boutiques to get the lay of the Yonge Street landmark.

It’s all excitement at strip staple Olliffe, where the Gundy/Aitken brothers bring fresh blood to the butcher shop. The new owners are already a food culture family: Ben Gundy was executive chef at Jacob and Co., Sam Gundy founded Huron County’s Forager Foods and James Aitken is a Verity Group investor. Why does the trio want a finger in this meat pie? It’s personal, explains Aitken: “When you’re in a family of six boys, you’re gonna eat a lot of meat, and we grew up on Olliffe.” The boys have also broken down neighbourhood barriers: in a bizarre juxtaposition of aromas, their shop now adjoins new Sweetgrass Flowers (by Verity Group), bringing floral wafts and meatpackers together at last.......

Local Agri-Food Innovators Celebrated

Forager Foods is honored to be a recipient of the Premier’s Agri-Food Innovation Excellence awards. Regional recipients were recognized on June 9, 2009 at an awards ceremony in Midlmay

The Premier’s Agri-Food Innovation Excellence awards are part of a $2.5-million, five-year program (now in its third year) established to recognize innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Sam Gundy; Carol Mitchell, MPP for Huron-Bruce

Congratulations to our fellow regional recipients!

The Healing Arc Inc. & Everspring Farms Ltd. (Teeswater) - Bruce County
Saugeen Country Dairy (Markdale) - Grey County
WoolDrift Farm (Markdale) - Grey County
Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association - Grey and Bruce Counties
Forager Foods (Bayfield) - Huron County
Hillside Gardens Limited (Bradford) - Simcoe County
Sunrise Produce (Alliston) - Simcoe County

Olliffe Grand Opening

Torontoist reports on the grand opening of our partner Olliffe in Toronto. Forager gets a mention too! Check out the article here


The Brothers Olliffe: Ben Gundy, Sam Gundy, James Aitken

Fresh & News May 30th

At Foragers we love to talk, think and obsess over food. One might want to label us as “foodies” but we prefer to be called “foodsters!"

What we really enjoy is learning about new and old food style, recipes and innovations. Our Sausage Making Team is looking for input by you. This coming week, please send us your recipes and/or ideas for upcoming the next featured sausage. See you this week...


Fresh & News

Ontario Canned Tomatoes
Our friends at the Natural Food Coop are supplying us with not only Mapletons Organic Ice Cream but also Ontario grown canned tomatoes. Organically grown, the whole tomatoes in juice are excellent for your red sauces. Interestingly, the Forager Test Kitchen believes the Ontario canned tomatoes are on par with the Italian San Marzano tomatoes the store also carries. San Marzano tomatoes, a D.O.P. product is widely considered the best. Or are they?

David Wood Romelia
In this past Wednesday's Globe and Mail Life section, Sue Reidl's cheese column identified Forager Foods as one of only 8 stores in Canada to carry David Wood’s new Romelia cheese. Be sure to stop in as we are stocked with this beautifully creamy and pungent goat milk cheese. Mr. Wood has aced this cheese recipe. Sometimes goat milk cheese has a “chalky” beginning and finish, Romelia goat milk cheese has the consistent creaminess of cow’s milk yet the benefits of goat’s milk.

Simple Party Planning
There is nothing easier than putting a few skewers on the barby, mixing a quick salad and having good bread and butter for a summer night impromptu dinner party. You can count on Foragers to have 2-3 varieties of skewers every day including beef, chicken, pork, lamb and combinations of each.

Another must-try is the Forager Butterflied Jerk Chicken. We have taken the backs out of the whole chickens and marinated them in a jerk rub and oil vac pac bag. Essentially the chicken is flattened, the Forager Test Kitchen recommends wrapping a brick with foil and placing on top of the butterflied chicken while cooking at medium high heat on your grill. Flip once, and you’re done in 30 minutes!.

Keep Foraging,


Bill, Sam, Sara, & Jeremy