Our Story

To Serve the Common Good


By following fair trade principles and supporting sustainable farming practices. We committed to only selling 100% organic produce because organic agricultural practices are sustainable, better for the environment, our families and the people that farm and grow our produce


Zero waste -We wanted to remove all unnecessary waste from our business model – We made simple steps like choosing not to offer plastic bags, double sided till receipts etc. The bigger task was how to reduce waste from a grocery operation. We thought long and hard and realised we couldn’t copy the standard model.


For our butcher we worked with the local farmers in the lower mainland and implemented a whole animal / nose to tail butcher program, because we wanted to honor the animal. Nothing gets wasted, the bones make our famous broth, the organs go to the odd connoisseur, the fat is rendered down to be sold as suet or tallow. We use everything, nothing gets wasted on the animal from its nose to its tail. I am proud of the quality of meat our butchers produce day in and day out.


We structured our deli so the butcher and produce feed all their excess vegetables and meat. We wanted nothing to end up in the bin. We think this is a win-win for the business by reducing our costs, the environment – by redirecting valuable resources that far too often end up in garbage and for the customer as these gained efficiencies are passed on to our customers in healthy food at affordable prices. The produce that can not be served to the deli are used to create our pet food line combining our organ and bone meal from the butcher.


To Serve the Local Economy


By buying from local and regional growers and producers when possible; always striving to expand our support of local businesses and growers. These practises help to keep the quality of our food high. We think the locavores have it right. Food is better when it doesn’t have to travel far to arrive on your plate. This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to improving our carbon footprint. We are convinced food picked locally tastes better and has higher nutrition because it’s given more time to ripen. These policies help sustain the local economy and put more money in the pockets of the people who actually produce our food. Click here for a list of our current local vendors and farmers!


To Serve our customers and staff


To give back to our customers we created a customer appreciation day, every second Wednesday of every month our members receive 10% off non sale items across all our product lines. We also wanted our staff to be able to afford healthy food so we offer the best grocery discount in the business. We’ve tried to create a welcoming space that works to meet all our customer and staff needs; by responding to concerns and making all decisions with their best interest in mind. We are committed to providing the highest quality products at Everyday Affordable Prices. We work diligently to secure the best possible pricing so that everyone can afford to take care of their health and buy quality natural and organic products.


Looking back on the 12 years of operating, I’m often struck by just how much we have evolved as a company. It is this constant evolution that is central to our success. This is 100% down to the purpose and drive of our staff and managers that have come through our door over the years. They laid down the foundation and grinded out incremental improvements every day. Our staff are passionate about food, they care about organics, or local dry aged meat, they care about sustainable food policy and want to be part of something good. I think of Dane our grocery manager, Brendan our head chef, Andy our butcher, or Wayne our grocery stalwart, the past managers that give their all to source from that small organic farmer, or create better tasting bacon or find that small batch sauerkraut. It is this purpose that continues to drive our small store from what was a dream to a reality. Thank you all!