Méli-Mélo July 2023
Tall Shadow Bakery
Your favourite farmers' market bakery has laid down roots in East Vancouver, and this writer is particularly excited to have them in the hood. Tall Shadow Bakery has been putting in face time at farmers' markets for several years. When the demand started to outpace the supply, owners Cass Helps and Dayle Kennedy decided to move out of the commissary and get their own bakery. They teamed up with Miki Ellis and Stephen Whiteside, who have plenty of experience opening brick-and-mortar locations through their restaurants Dachi, Hanai and Elephant. Their new permanent location is located at 2474 East Hastings Street, the former location of Black Rook Bakery (may its weekend cinnamon buns rest in peace) and just two blocks from Dachi. The space will be part production space and part café with 20 different loaves on offer as well as some sweets, ready-made sandwiches and tea and coffee.
tallshadowbakery.com | @tallshadowbakery
Georgia General
From the outside, Georgia General looks like a vintage shop, and it is, but if you head to the back, you’ll find a plethora of local food brands curated by shop owner Sarah Bromfield. Former home of the Found and the Freed, Georgia General is a hodgepodge (in the best way) of vintage finds, new retro goods and local and non-local artisanal food.
Bromfield has a long history in leather making and work- ing in the vintage scene. She knew the previous owners of Found and the Freed, who offered the space to her in January. The timing was tight, but she opened the door within a few weeks.
“We never made any announcement. We literally just flipped the open sign one day when we felt like, okay, this is good enough. Let’s just see if anyone comes in, and 10 minutes later, people walked in and bought something,” Bromfield says.
Bromfield is originally from England but with deep ties to Canada. Her mother is Canadian, and her grandmother owned a shop in New Westminster (you can find some of the original items in the store). She came to Vancouver six years ago to spend more time with her grandmother, who turned 100 the week the store opened.
Her philosophy on curating food brands combines artisanal and “giftable” items with practical get-hooked-on items.
“I like the philosophy and sort of that mixture of being between a proper general store and something a bit more artisanal,” Bromfield says. “It’s a way to contribute to the community who I know miss having a convenience store in this location.”
She’s also focusing on representing BIPOC makers and producers, which currently make up about a third of her food offerings.
706 Victoria Drive, Vancouver
@georgia_general
The Vegan Market
Not sure what to do with your hot summer nights? Check out the Vegan Night Market at The Waldorf and Locarno Beach (August 31). Hosted by Peaces, the night market first popped up in 2017, with events once or twice a year. This summer, they are keeping the party going bi-weekly from June to the end of August, and when we say party, we mean party. The market always has a vibrant scene with many food trucks, drinks, music and local vegan vendors. It’s a good time and a great way to beat the heat while supporting locals.
Vegan Night Market | peaces.ca | @peaces.ca
