Méli-Mélo - November 2023
Victoria Drive Has Its First Milk Bar
Harry Swinburn and Maggie Campbell are bringing a bit of Australia to East Van with a new ‘milk bar’ called Mah.
In Australia, a milk bar is essentially an independently owned corner store where you can pop in for eggs, candy or, as the name suggests, milk. Much like in Canada, Australia has lost many of these neighbourhood fixtures, but Swinburn, from Melbourne and Campbell are revitalizing the concept in the heart of East Van.
“Maggie and I worked in hospitality. We had talked about opening a place together, so we decided about three years ago to shut up about it and write a business plan,” Swinburn says.
The original plan was to open a café wine bar, but budgetary restraints prompted them to pivot. They looked into food trucks and coffee trucks, but to their good fortune the location at 1502 Victoria Drive (the former home of South China Seas Trading Co.) became available.
“It’s kind of perfect because we have a ton of experience in the hospitality industry, but we don’t have experience opening up a place, so doing it on a small scale in a very supportive neighbourhood is a better step for us,” Swinburn says.
The shop is only allowed six seats, so the hope is that people will come through for their morning coffee, grab a pastry or breakfast sandwich and a few provisions for dinner.
“The number one priority is connecting with the community,” Swinburn says. “We just want a comfortable and welcoming space that allows for more connections. This neighbourhood is already amazing for that.”
Swinburn and Campbell also foster connections outside the shop by stocking the shelves with local provision such as Solbru, Sriracha Revolver, Modern Pierogi, Booch Queen, Aussie Pie Guy and more.
“We’ve been going to every single farmer's market that existed and contacted people through Instagram. We’re really happy with the brands we’re working with. They are the loveliest people. It makes me so happy that we are able to promote and support these people.” Victoria Drive has its first milk bar.
Mah Milk Bar | 1502 Victoria Dr. | @mah.milkbar
Kin's Turns 40
In its 40 years of existence, Kin’s Farm Market has grown from a humble eight-foot table at Granville Island Public Market to a 23-store-strong chain that, despite its growth, maintains that family-owned feeling.
The Leung family came to Vancouver from Guangzhou, China, in 1981 with nothing. The family of five lived in an attic in East Vancouver and worked odd jobs at restaurants while learning English.
A trip to Granville Island in 1983 inspired the family to rent a produce stand, a decision that completely changed their lives.
Victor Lau, Chief Operating Officer and stepson to cofounder Kin Wah Leung, recalls his stepfather driving to different farms early in the morning so he could pick the freshest produce to be sold immediately.
“My stepfather said it was fiercely competitive because you're not the only table [at the market],” Lau says.
The extra effort paid off and in 1987, the family opened their first store in Richmond. When Lau joined the company in 2004, it had expanded to 11 stores throughout the Lower Mainland.
Kin’s has remained a produce-only store, focused on sourcing locally whenever possible, carving out a niche with a loyal following.
“It’s really important for us to continue to have a personal connection with our customers,” Lau says. “In this day and age, you have a lot of big box stores that are gravitating more towards self-checkout and faceless interactions. Knowing our customers and their families, that’s really quite important to us.”
So what does the future hold for Kin’s? Lau says that their vision goes beyond expanding their footprint.
“We’ve really looked beyond the business to what our role is in society,” Lau says. “Our vision is to inspire a better quality of life in our communities and to provide fresh and healthy food consumption choices to more and more people.”
“It's quite aspirational and lofty, we understand, but our dream is basically to propel Canadian life expectancy to the highest in the world so those in our community can spend more time with who and what they love most. We’re trying to think of small steps we can take, community by community, to try to build that.”
Kin’s Farm Market | kinsfarmmarket.com | @kinsfarmmarket
Croissant Crawl
The Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl is back for a second year from November 1 to 14. Last year, 10 different bakeries participated in the inaugural crawl, offering specialty croissants such as Pumpkin Pie Double Baked Croissant from Terra Breads, Double Baked Pistachio Croissant from Davie Village Bakery and Mash 'n’ Stuffin Croissant from Cadeaux Bakery. The crawl is entirely self-guided, so check out the @vancouvercroissantcrawl Instagram feed for more details.
Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl
@vancouvercroissantcrawl
North Shore Craft Beer Week
Calling all beer lovers: North Shore Craft Beer Week returns from November 3 to 14 at various breweries from North Van to West Van. The festivities kick off on November 2 at the historic Shipyards District, where revellers can enjoy samplings from participating breweries, distilleries and cideries, live entertainment and food. However, if you miss the party, individual breweries will throw their own events. Last year’s festivities included Viking Night at Braggot Brewing, a mini golf and patio party at Streetcar Brewing, a burger challenge night at Black Kettle Brewing and a mariachi night at La Cerveceria Astilleros.
North Shore Craft Beer Week
vancouversnorthshore.com | @vancouvernorthshore
Give the Gift of B.C. Wine
The B.C. wine industry has had more than a few knocks in the past few years, from extreme prolonged cold snaps to heat waves to fire and smoke damage. Wines of British Columbia, a non-profit industry advocacy group, released a member survey earlier this year detailing some alarming numbers illustrating the impact climate change is having on local crops. The survey estimated that in 2023, 45 per cent of total planted acreage will suffer long-term damage, 29 per cent will need to be replaced and production may decrease by 54 per cent. The decline in production is estimated to yield a $133 million decrease in the total industry revenues and cause a 20 per cent reduction in employment. So if ever there was a time to stuff your 19+ stockings with B.C. wine, it’s now.
Wine of British Columbia
Read the full impact report at winebc.com
To Mark the Season
There are so many holiday markets this year that your stockings will be positively overflowing with local craft goods. Got Craft is returning to the Croatian Cultural Centre November 18 to 19. The Eastside Culture Crawl is touring East Vancouver November 16 to 19. Portobello West is taking setting up in the Roundhouse Community Centre November 25 to 26. Also happening on November 25 to 26, Crafty Affaire is popping up at Ocean Park Hall in Surrey. In Pitt Meadows, The Collective Market is taking place November 17 to 19 at the Sky Hangar. And Got Craft Holiday Virtual Market is running online from November 22 to December 3.
Find a comprehensive listing of more than 20 craft and artisan markets and farmers markets at gotcraft. com/aroundtown.
