PLENTY EPICUREAN PANTRY
Location:
Hours of Business:
Phone:
Web Address:
1034 Fort Street
Mon. - Wed. 10 am – 6 pm and Thurs.- Sat. 10 am – 7 pm
380-7654
www.epicureanpantry.ca
Chosen for:
Spices and Teas galore
Organic fair-trade products
Passion of owner
When they walked through the iron gates of Plenty Epicurean Pantry on Saturday, November 4th, 2006, 23 Grapevine participants felt they'd stepped back in time. Not seeing the owner on the premises, our hearts sank. Had we missed him? But proprietor Trevor Walker suddenly uncurled from behind the counter to accept his bouquet of purple balloons and be pronounced the best of the bunch for the month. Once again, creative fibbing ensured that the owner was on site!
Owner Trevor Walker with Barbara McDonell
- all photos by Tony Parker
"This is fantastic! I'm thrilled that you've come," Trevor said as he passed out delicious chocolate truffles. Employee Cathy offered us cups of Jasmine Pearl tea in a clear glass pot. Walnut sized, this tea opens in hot water to display a white chrysanthemum flower
Is Plenty a general store? A spice and tea shop? With a small delivery of fresh vegetables from Saanich Organics every Tuesday, could you call it a produce store? It's all those things. Include locally-made bread, jams, chocolate, and cheese, beautiful pottery, then bubble wands made by Metchosin blacksmith Nancy, and this shop indeed deals in "plenty".
While completing his Masters degree in environmental education, Trevor developed writer's block and began daydreaming about food connected with local farmers. Food won out. Trevor finished his thesis, and Plenty was born.Named after a town in Saskatchewan near the farm where Trevor's father grew up, the word represents hope and optimism. It expresses values of community and caring, which the owner passionately embraces.
Sprinkle Mango Powder on meats, poultry
or cheese ... smell the Sechuan Pepper!
Opened only three months ago, Plenty has a delightful old-fashioned feel enhanced by an antique counter from the Old Vogue Shop that earlier occupied this space, and a well-honed butcher block from a long-gone neighbourhood meat shop. Make sure you check out Plenty's resident red cuckoo cuckoo that enthusiastically flaps his wings on the hour, but never chirps the right time!
Trevor's wife Erika, an architect, chose restful colours, painted a mural of muted green trees in the cheese/spice room, and designed shelves of pressed wheat, which produce a pleasant outdoorsy aroma.
The cheese case is full of gouda, blue and savory
cheeses from Cowichan Bay, Salt Spring Island
and Salmon Arm. Note wall mural painted by
Trevor's wife Erika.
The cheese case is full of gouda, blue, and savory cheeses from Salt Spring Island, Cowichan Bay and Salmon Arm. Just in time for the festive season, organic chestnuts from Kelowna have arrived. Buy a small ceramic chestnut roaster for $12 and you're set for a special winter treat!
On the opposite wall, spice packages priced from $3 are hung by clothes pegs. Cloud Ears is a crunchy fungus with smoky flavour, used in soups - once cooked it puffs up like clouds. Use Mango Powder to sprinkle on meats, poultry or cheese. Add Tea Tree Mushrooms to sweeten the taste of stews, risotto or stir-fries. Choose colourful Candied Fennel to clear the palate between courses. Ask to smell the selected spices in glass-lidded tins... the Sechuan Pepper aroma is amazing!
Spinnaker's malt vinegar or organic Maple Syrup are available at $7.95 a bottle. Employee Sandra's 'Staff Pick' of Pomegranate Mustard states "tangy, not too strong, gives a bit of spunk to all it touches!" for only $4.40.
Locally-made soaps make great gifts...
Future Plenty plans include scheduled tea, spice and jam tastings. Once a month, employee Sandra will play jazz piano in the shop. Contact the shop for their schedule.
Do you know someone who'd enjoy receiving a Christmas gift of a variety of organic fair-trade goodies? By mid-November, Trevor will have about five options available, packaged in an organic bamboo basket and wrapped in old-fashioned paper.