Nathalie Rivard

Are you wondering where to buy local food for your guests and family, besides grocery stores? Here are a few suggestions to help you feast locally this holiday season. This list is not exhaustive, but is meant as a guide to encourage our local merchants and producers:

• La Pantry de Knowlton: your one-stop gourmet food store for your holiday meals and 5 à 7. You can even order the incredible Christmas logs from Eastman’s Dorville bakery.

• Raffields: cookies, soups and meals, smoked salmon, the famous Gurgle jars to offer or serve water on the table during your holiday meals.

• Buzz café: Christmas cookies and chocolates, fine European waxed cheeses, privately imported Eastern European wines, desserts, takeout.

• Brûlerie Virgin Hill: coffee, hot chocolate bombs, perfect for stocking stuffers or serving after skiing or a walk on the lake. Maple butter infused with coffee beans, custom coffee microlots, maple popcorn.

• Domaine Jolivent Boutique: fine foods, prepared meals (fresh and frozen), Paris Brest, select Vietnamese dishes.

• Bolt Café: coffee and a nice selection of privately imported wine

• Pâturages du Lac-Brome: lamb, beef and poultry from regenerative pastures – different cuts or ¼ or ½ carcasses for the freezer.

• Knowlton Co: Local microbrewery beer and pizza to go

• Patch Farm: Beef, pork, poultry and eggs.

• Cheeky Creek Farm: Berkshire pork, sausages, bacon.

• Ferme Terre à Terre: eggs and possibly oak leaf lettuce, a delight for your salads. Much better than iceberg lettuce.

• Humminghill Farm: chive flower vinegar and other unique flavours, local honey. Available at La Pantry.

• Vitality Sureau: elderberry products.

• WB Gold Farm: Organic honey and Highland beef.

• Ferme aux quatre vents : Highland beef (¼ and ½ for freezers)

• Ferme Ânecdotes: chaga, reishi, jams, rhubarb compote and zucchini relish for your meat pies.

• Richard BBQ Traiteur: prepared meals and smoked meats. Available at Home Hardware.

• Badger Farm: Highland beef available at Home Hardware.

• Ô de sève: Made in Knowlton, a non-alcoholic beverage made from maple sap and ginger. Drink alone or in a cocktail. Tasting set of sixflavours. Available at Hors-Cadre.

• Home Hardware: variety of local meats and products in the freezer to help you with your holiday meals.

• Chouquette et Amandine: bread, pastries, Christmas logs and fruit cakes.

• Chez Émilie (formerly Domenica): panettone, oils, vinegars, prepared dishes, antipasti, Italian cheeses.

• Knowlton General: fish and seafood.

• Léon Courville Vigneron: wines and sparkling wine Muse to “toast” the new year.

• Vignoble Sugar Hill: wines and sparkling wines.

• Canards du Lac-Brome: frozen duck and many fine products.

• Panier Champêtre: fine products for aperitifs, oils, wine.

• Midnight Madness (December 10) – great opportunity to get some local gourmet products.

For more suggestions of local producers, consult the new BromeMissisquoi Supply Guide (in French), available free of charge online on the MRC website. Before going to visit the producers, check with them about their opening hours. Encouraging local merchants and producers means allowing local families to feed their families well and also have a great holiday season!