EAT Magazine Sept/Oct 2013_Victoria_48_Layout 1 8/28/13 1:30 PM Page 20
The Local Store
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The Local General Store | 1440 Haultain St., Victoria | 778.265.6225 | www.thelocalgeneralstore.ca
Sherri Martin
left: Alix and Chris Harvey standing outside the Local General Store. right: The selection of grains available at the store. Five years ago, Alix and Chris Harvey began researching and sourcing products to bring to the Local General Store, which opened its doors in May. The store was virtually conceived and ready to go with all products bookmarked and chosen long before the retired couple found their ideal location in Fernwood. Alix Harvey envisioned the Local General Store as a place where you could shop for local, organic groceries, pick up some environmentally friendly household needs and find a unique artisan gift all in one place. When most people think of local, they tend to gravitate towards the 100 Mile Diet concept—but not in this case. Alix and Chris have expanded the perception of local beyond miles or geography. Their first choice are products within the shortest distance from the store, and so farms and producers from Victoria, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland are given priority. They then research the quality and fair practices to produce it, and ensure it is environmentally sustainable. However, the term “local” for Alix and Chris means much more. “We now live in a globally interrelated environment,” they say on their website, “and only focusing on one’s own local well-being contradicts the spirit of interconnectedness that has emerged over this past century. ‘Local’ for us also means respecting and wishing the best for local communities all over the world.” Common products such as coffee or cotton that can’t be produced in our climate are sourced only through distributors that can assure a direct benefit back to their community, wherever in the world that may be. Local area products include freshly prepared butter chicken and samosas made from all natural ingredients by Victoria-based chef Rekha Molleken. Family-run Island Bison from Black Creek, north of Courtenay, is another exceptional product: lean, free-range bison available in the form of patties, smokies, sausages and ground. Newcomer Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt is also from Courtenay and uses whole milk made from their grass-fed cows in the traditional kettle cooking production method. A divine selection of quality preserves comes from Deaconvale Farms on Mayne Island, including chutneys, jams and relishes. And, depending on what day of the week you go, different baked goods are delivered fresh daily from local bakeries Moulin Vert, 2GF Kitchen, Wildfire, Il Forno di Claudio and Fry’s Red Fife Bakery. The schedule is up on the store’s website, along with a comprehensive inventory of the unique products the couple are proud to promote and stock. Other products that fit the store’s definition of local have been brought in from the B.C. Interior, Eastern Canada, the Pacific Northwest and California. Being an ethically conscience consumer certainly isn’t a new idea; however, shopping at a store that is could make all the difference for our communities and their long-term “local” sustainability. BY SHERRI MARTIN
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EAT MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER | OCT 2013