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Heatherlea’s Café receives Feast On certification

July 28, 2017   ·   0 Comments

Heatherlea Farm Shoppe’s café joins more than 122 other Ontario establishments committed to local food through their newly acquired Feast On certification.
This designation enables diners to identify restaurants that use local foods, thus supporting the local economy and Ontario agriculture. With Heatherlea’s home-raised meats, Ontario provisions and passion for promoting local food, the program was a perfect match for them.
Heatherlea, on Winston Churchill Boulevard in Caledon, has always had an eye on the Feast On program and became eligible when they opened a café in their brand new building in January 2016. In keeping with Heatherlea’s theme for local food, they curated a menu that changes with the seasons. Patrons will find handcrafted sandwiches, flavourful soups, tempting baked goods and artisanal beverages. A few of the local favourites include the breakfast sandwich, featuring a house-made beef sausage patty; the reuben sandwich with Heatherlea beef, dressing and fermented sauerkraut; and “the best ever grilled cheese sandwich,” which seems to be living up to its name.
The foods that make up their menu are largely from Ontario — 96 per cent to be exact. This wouldn’t be possible without the partnerships of other local farmers and producers. Partners include small neighborhood farmers like Cathy Hansen, who provides some of the best organic greens, kale and carrots to larger farms like VG Meats in Simcoe. Another partner, 100 KM Foods Inc., specializes in distributing for small-scale farms, which alleviates a common barrier for small growers.
Heatherlea’s owners and operators Pat and Gord McArthur recognize first-hand the importance of supporting local food. It’s putting dollars back into communities, reducing environmental impacts and making farming sustainable for future generations. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reports that local food in Ontario is thriving and they are well on their way to meet the 2020 vision for Ontario Local Food.
The continued solid growth of local food relies on consumers and where they choose to spend their dollars. Feast On offers an easy online navigation to find local food establishments, from food trucks to fine dining and everything in between.
Check out a Feast On establishment near you at https://feaston.ontarioculinary.com