a grocery store like no other
Come in-store and check out our 100% organic produce department, a classic butcher shop featuring our own smokehouse, a world class cheese + tapas deli, a stocked grocery department, a full service wellness department, an abundant bulk section with a bring your own container program and our own in-house kitchen + cafe featuring house-made soups, sandwiches, desserts and drinks.
our produce section is 100% organic, 100% of the time.
Maybe you want tender local kale to put in your power smoothie every morning. Maybe you’re looking for a rainbow of bell peppers for that family barbecue this weekend. Perhaps a crisp Okanagan apple is your key to keeping the doctor away.
We forage near and far to provide you with an artist’s palette of fruits and vegetables every day of the year. You take it from there. However you choose to set the table for life’s adventures, you can do it in a healthy, life-affirming way.
MORE LOCAL PRODUCE PLEASE!
our first choice is always local
because feeding our community is just as important as feeding our bodies.
We love our True Local organic farmers. They are inspiring, hard-working people who have perfected their craft. We all look forward to the time of year when Salix + Sedge cucumbers hit our shelves. “They are gateway vegetables,” as Ben, our produce manager likes to say.
you can taste the local difference
The same goes for cherries from our Danny at Just-a-Mere Farm in Creston, or cabbages from Spicer’s Farm in Nakusp, rich with flavours of our Kootenay landscape. It feels different when we buy local. It feels good, and somehow more intimate and connected, knowing where you food comes from.
meet your true local farmers!
try our Kootenay Co-op Smokehouse treats and delicious cuts made in-house.
We do more than just put out packages – we butcher whole animals and make our own sausages, specialty cuts, marinades and fresh ground food for your pup. We even have our own smoker! Jerky, bacon, brisket, hot dogs, and smoked salmon are just a few of our Co-op Smokehouse treats.
Every day you’ll find a different selection of fresh cuts in our display cases and a freezer full of family favourites. Next time you’re at the counter, ask one of our friendly staff about what’s new and exciting or how to cook that unique cut.
Butcher Shop Buying Guidelines
For omnivores, our meat + seafood department is a dream come true! We know how important it is to you to know where your animals are from, that they were raised on a quality diet of healthy feed without added growth hormones or antibiotics, or caught in a way that does not compromise our ocean and river ecosystems. We source it, expertly cut and wrap it, and even use a detailed labeling system because there is no single standard for how animals are raised or caught. The next time you visit our butcher counter check our out our colorful labeling guide. We take the time to provide you with the information you need to make empowered choices for your body and family.
ask our cheese experts.
The folks in our cheese department are truly passionate about what they do. They seek out unique and expertly made cheeses from Europe and afar, made with old-world techniques that have been handed down for generations. They also know the very best artisans throughout BC and Canada who make new-world cheeses that hold their own.
MORE CHEESE PLEASE!
We know our members love to cook and host and play and they need great cheese to do it right. The holidays, dinner parties, a stellar hike or a backcountry ski day, grilled-cheese for the kids – whatever is on your calendar, now is the perfect time to start thinking about the cheese!
we’ve all had a cheese moment that changed our lives. what cheese makes you ooh and ahh?
Maybe it was a piece of Comte from France. It’s nutty and mushroomy and has more than forty tasting notes. It’s versatile too – equally at home melted on a baguette or showcased on a cheeseboard. Perhaps it’s Alpindon, made in our own backyard at Kootenay Meadows Farm in Creston. It’s nutty too and has lovely crystallization. It’s supremely flavourful because it’s made strictly with summer milk. You can actually taste the fresh green grass in every bite.
the olives are to live for and the tapas sublime!
Whether we are kicking it on the couch with a nice glass of wine or having friends over for a special occasion, we might as well up our game and indulge in some decadent small plates. Here’s a perfect recipe you can make with a single trip to our Co-op: Crisp Castelvetrano olives and a Greek blend, fig bread, some kalamata tapenade, juicy artichoke hearts, perfectly roasted red peppers, dolmas, pickled asparagus, marinated eggplant, and lightly fried capers. Add a warm baguette or levain with a crispy crust and some walnut oil for dipping or to drizzle on top. Pair with some delicious charcuterie from the butcher counter and the picture is complete. Display it all on in your favourite small dishes, on butcher blocks or a piece of slate. Serve with your favourite music and repeat as often as you’d like!
fresh baked, local bread abounds in the Kootenays…
We can’t live on bread alone, but we can try! Perhaps some light rye or sesame bagels from Kootenay Co-op Bakery down the street. Maybe Uphill Bakery’s Traditional Multigrain. The Organic Rebel Bread from Kaslo Sourdough. Or the White Sourdough Raisin from Bread by Julius. Whatever your fancy, there is always something to toast! And for our gluten free members, the Brown Bread or Sourdough from Alkeme are both divine! There’s even wraps, buns, naan and more to explore in the bread section by Cheese + Tapas.
meet our true local suppliers
selling in bulk since 1975.
Stock up on all the oats, nuts, seeds, grains and chocolate that you’ve come to know and love in our bulk department.
pre-packaged bulk products
Don’t see one of your favourites bulk items in our bins? Be sure to check our bulk repack section in aisle 7, across from our bulk department.
MORE BULK
eat the way you want to eat.
We live in an empowered age when we all get to pick a diet that works for our body. Keto, paleo, gluten free, vegan, low-carb, high-carb, FODMAP, all pizza, juice cleanse – whatever your jam, we meet you where you are. Our grocery team loves food, all kinds of food, and we are on a constant treasure hunt to find innovative and nutritious products. What do they all all have in common? We vet everything on our shelves to make sure each product meets our Buying Guidelines so you can choose what’s right for you and live life your way.
GREAT DEALS ALL THE TIME!
It’s the chocolate bar that gets us through our afternoon at work. It’s the bag of chips we bust open on the ride home from the store, and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich our kids eat for lunch. It’s the cup of coffee that gets us going in the morning and the energy bar that powers our mountain bike ride. Sometimes it’s frozen-feel-good-yummy-can’t-get-enough-of-it-food.
We even have super cool housewares and all the eco-friendly cleaning products you could ever need. After the Meat + Seafood, Cheese + Tapas, Produce, Wellness, Kitchen + Café departments, Grocery is everything else in the store – cereals, snacks, pastas, oils, spices, cat and dog food, nut butters, frozen foods, baking products, dairy, eggs, beverages… we have it all at our Co-op!
great deals all the time!
Our Co-op was founded way back in 1975 because a group of inspired people wanted access to natural and organic foods at reasonable prices. Decades later we’re still at it. From our Weekly and Monthly Specials to our Hot Deals and special-event sales, we always have amazing discounts on your favourite products. Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, we also host special week-long Case-Lot sales where you can stock up your pantry with a huge variety of cases at great prices. Sign up for our weekly eNews to make sure you can save big every time you shop.
wellness is a way of life.
With so many items to choose from, it’s nice to talk to someone about what we want and need, and our Wellness staff eat, breath, walk, talk and exude wellness. It’s so much more than a job for them – it’s a way of life. From herbalism to performance and sports nutrition, many of them have studied and trained in various healing modalities and they regularly attend webinars and seminars, research products, and learn from our distributors. They love what they do, especially talking with you, our members, about your own approach to health and vitality.
TRUE LOCAL WELLNESS
true local wellness
We are lucky to have an inspiring local community of makers who craft natural products for all aspects of our lives. Turn to the powerful tinctures from Little Dragon Medicinals to help treat colds, boost your immune system, improve brain cognition and assist with sleep. Shine your light on the world with ethically-made botanical skin care and beauty products from Communion Botanicals. Soothe sore muscles and joints and reduce inflammation with Marseille’s Remedy. Ask one of our Wellness staff to turn you on to all our fabulous local products!
meet your true local wellness warriors
breakfast, lunch and dinner on your time.
Fresh & delicious meals on the go, made with expert skill and wholesome, local, organic ingredients? Pinch me. I can eat that way? Thanks to our talented kitchen crew, even busy bees can eat well every meal of the day. Late to the construction site? Grab a breakfast burrito and coffee or a smoothie on the way. Lunch break downtown? Pick up a grab-n-go salad or sandwich made daily. Gotta get dinner on the table for the kids? They’ll love our juicy roasted chicken, even if they can’t spell “organic”.
THE LIST GOES ON
Pizza night? We’ve got flatbreads. Office meeting? Grab a dozen sandwiches. More of a soup and salad kind of day? Check. Time to kick back and watch the game with some seven-layer dip? We’ve got you covered. Potluck? They’re still a thing. We don’t mind if you take it out of our container and put it in yours. Go ahead, pretend you made it.
muffins and cookies and cakes, oh my!
Sometimes we need something sweet to set things straight or turn the day around. Our in-house bakery always comes through. Perhaps a colorful macaron, some dark chocolate cocoa truffles, a rose pistachio meringue, or a peanut butter chocolate keto fat bomb? Blueberry mango chia cups, flourless brownies or a trifle for two? We’re just getting started.
it’s good to have sweet friends nearby.
Our True Local confectioners know their way around a spatula too. A 6-Cupcake Party Pack from Lucky Cupcakes is great for a birthday or retirement party. Big date on Saturday? A delectable Vanilla Rose cake from Epiphany is the perfect choice. Gotta keep the kids in the back seat happy on a summer road trip? Grab a Tweet from Melafera Foods.
From local organic farmers to local soap makers and beekeepers we have an abundance of talented people dedicated to their craft in our region. Our True Local Spotlights will introduce you to these passionate growers + artisans – in their own words – and let you put a name and face to the True Local products you love.
become a True Local supplier
115+ True Local suppliers
And counting! Will you be our 116th? Get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
