COVID-19 has had a ripple effect on the restaurant industry, not only impacting restaurant staff and owners but everyone who normally does business with them. With dining rooms shuttered across the city, the food suppliers that normally stock restaurant kitchens are seeing their usual orders decrease significantly or disappear entirely.
Like restaurants, food suppliers are adapting their business models to the current climate and many are shifting to direct consumer sales. It’s giving us a rare opportunity to stock our fridges with restaurant-quality goods, as well as help keep suppliers afloat until we’re all dining out again.
Monforte Dairy
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Stratford’s much-loved cheesemaker has launched a home delivery program they’re dubbing “door-to-door dairy.” Monforte Dairy‘s new service features boxes filled with 1.5 kg of assorted hard and soft cheese. Boxes are priced at $60 and are delivered for free every Friday in Toronto (delivery is also available in Stratford, London, and Kitchener-Waterloo). Orders can be placed by calling or texting 519-301-0198.
100km Foods
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Veteran supplier 100km Foods helped pioneer the local food movement in Toronto by bringing seasonal Ontario farm produce to hundreds of restaurants across the city. They’ve now debuted a series of pre-packed Market Boxes for home cooks, which are filled with goods sourced from their network of farmers and producers. Boxes can be ordered online and picked up from their warehouse at 19 Colville Road. In addition to this pick-up box program, 100km Food has also partnered with Fruit Suite to offer home delivery of their products.
Woodward Meats
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Oakville-based wholesaler Woodward Meats has opened up its sought-after supply to the public. Their stock focuses on premium meat cuts like A5 Wagyu boneless rib-eye steak, but fresh fruits and veggies are available to order as well. They’ve also partnered with some of their restaurant clients to offer ready-made meals, such as Buca’s Lasagna da Cucinare a Casa. Orders can be placed online and picked up from North York’s Miller Tavern or Woodward’s Oakville facility, but they seem poised to add additional pick-up locations in the coming weeks.
Daily Seafood
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Daily Seafood is offering home delivery and pick up of its fresh and frozen seafood products, which range from trout and tuna to mussels and lobster. They’re also selling marinades like garlic dill and maple dijon, with the option to order your fish marinated and shipped in an oven-ready container. Customers can email or call Daily Seafood to get a current list of what they have in stock and place orders. There’s a minimum $50 purchase for pick-ups and $150 for deliveries.