Can you believe that I’ve never done a food tour before? How can such a huge foodie, a lover of samples and treats, never go on a food tour until she was at the ripe old age of 24? Alas, our first tour was in British Columbia with Vancouver Foodie Tours, and we toured the famous public market on Granville Island. IT WAS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ENTIRE TRIP! Get ready to drool over these photos!
Granville Island is a small peninsula in Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s a popular hub for foodies, a hot spot of shopping and entertainment, and is famous for their indoor public market. Selling at the market is exclusive to Vancouver natives which keeps it authentic, and it contains everything your hungry stomach could desire. I could have spent all day on the island just browsing and eating my life away; we wanted to go back as soon as we left!
Our tour started at Edible Canada, a restaurant/retail shop that showcases Canada’s beautiful culinary side. This gem right above? Fresh OJ spritzer with Egg/benny hash. SO. DAMN. FLAVORFUL. Our amazing tour guide Nadia sat us down for this quick brekkie while we introduced ourselves and discussed what was going to happen for the next 2 hours.
Oh and Nadia? She’s basically the coolest person ever and makes you feel like an old friend. She’s a private chef, Vancouver native, and her love for food was evident in how excited she got talking about each sample. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide!
THE BEST DONUT OF OUR ENTIRE LIVES. – from Lee’s Donuts. Nothing like hot, freshly made (we saw them making it!) donuts and coffee in the cold Vancouver air.
Peach/Cranberry Crisps, Rosemary Sourdough, and Walnut Sourdough bread from Terra Breads. Fresh pressed coffee from JJ Bean.
We sampled some amazing charcuterie from Oyama Sausage, including many new-to-us meats such as elk and bison. It was my first time eating pate (not bad!), and my absolute favorite was the truffle salami! (I’m a truffle fanatic.)
Benton Brothers Fine Cheese
I didn’t think apples could be anything special, but oh my god was I wrong. These apples were divine! (#1 Orchard)
We took a stop at Granville Island Tea Company for some out-of-this-world chai. Believe me, I’m not a chai fan, but this converted me and made me purchase a make-you-own kit as a souvenir. Everyone on the tour also got a complimentary full-size drink of their choice at the end of the tour! I just got more chai 😀
Our tour rounded out back at Edible Canada; we tried some maple syrup infused with bourbon (Jarden’s fave!) and some truffle infused salt. (My fave!) We ended up buying both!
Last but not least, Almond Butter Crunch! They made perf. gifts for the in-laws back home hehe.
It was a fabulous tour guys; I’m a picky person and I seriously enjoyed every single thing we ate! (Vancouver Foodie Tours is also accommodating; someone on our tour had dietary restrictions and she had different delicious samples she could enjoy.)
I can’t rave enough about Nadia; her personality was so bright and she was so informative about the market shop owners and the food they produce. We learned so much interesting facts, but it wasn’t an information overload. The samples were abundant and we never felt rushed. I can’t recommend this tour enough, and I hope to try their other tours when I return to Canada! (Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour? Yes Please!)
Vancouver Foodie Tours
info@foodietours.ca
604-295-8844
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