Food Roundup
June 23, 2026
Agritourism is evolving into a sophisticated blend of agriculture, tourism, hospitality, retail, and education, but municipalities are not always keeping pace with policy, says a presentation that Bryanna Kumpula-Yung of Bar OA Farms and Eiblis Doherty of Strathcona County Tourism are giving in Scotland this week. "The question is no longer whether agritourism matters, it's how communities can support it effectively," says the talk they'll be sharing at the inaugural Global Agritourism Conference in Aberdeen, where 1,000 farmers, economic development professionals, researchers, supply chain representatives, and others are gathering from June 23 to 25.
Bar OA is a flower farm near Fort Saskatchewan that organizes culinary experiences, for which it won a Culinary Tourism Award in 2025. In speaking notes shared with Taproot, Kumpula-Yung said policy frameworks tend not to be designed for experiential agriculture, leading to red tape that can stand in the way of putting a good idea into action. But the presentation indicates that Strathcona County has done a lot to smooth the way, shifting its mindset from enforcing the rules to cultivating a sense of partnership that enables agritourism and culinary experiences to be a key part of the Go Strathco tourism strategy. For her part, Doherty suggests creating pathways instead of exceptions, and recognizing that small operators need scalable processes. At the same time, operators need to communicate with municipalities, understand their safety requirements, and respect the neighbours when building an agritourism business.
While Kumpula-Yung and Doherty are bringing their message to the world, the world just had a chance to learn more about what the Edmonton area offers at the Taste of Place Summit on June 15 and 16. "(The) summit highlighted how food can tell the story of a destination and strengthen communities," Explore Edmonton said in a post about the event, put on by the Culinary Tourism Alliance. This month has also seen Pierogerie Polish Foods and Delavoye Chocolate Makers added to the Économusée network of artisans who invite visitors to experience their craft. Parallèle Alberta, the francophone economic development agency, celebrated the induction of the farm-to-fork perogy-maker and the bean-to-bar chocolate factory, which are the first in the Edmonton area to receive the honour. Meanwhile, Alberta Open Farm Days returns on Aug. 15 and 16, with dozens of experiences listed in the metro Edmonton region.
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Openings
- Japanese-Korean restaurant Joon's is now open inside the Rice Howard Place food court at 10060 Jasper Avenue NW.
- Dessert shop Mellowd is now open at 10027 167 Street NW.
- Dessert shop Sweet Stop is now open at 116, 15277 Castle Down Road.
- Amore Pasta has opened its fifth location in the Edmonton region, at 1151 103A Street SW.
- Modern Asian restaurant Orbe at 13138 137 Avenue NW is soft-launching on July 2 with dinner service only.
- Spruce Grove taqueria El Taco Loco is opening an Edmonton location, in the Mercer Warehouse at 10359 104 Street NW.
- Chain Marugame Udon is opening up a location in West Edmonton Mall.
Closings
- PlayWright, located in the Citadel Theatre building, has closed its doors, citing "incredibly difficult operating conditions."
- Tesoro, a specialty Italian grocery store, is closing its Windermere location after close to two years in business.
- South Island Pie Co. will close its 124 Street shop on July 8 after failing to renew its lease. Online pie delivery through its Uproot Food Collective will continue.
- The Mayfield location of Odd Burger is closing on June 28.
- Warp Speed Bagels, a vendor at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, is closing at the end of June. Its last day at the market will be June 27.
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Headlines
- Mitsoh has secured an additional multimillion-dollar investment led by Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, alongside Manitoba Harvest co-founder Mike Fata, NHL defenceman Josh Morrissey, and natural foods entrepreneur Dror Balshine. The company, which makes pemmican snacks and beef sticks, is aiming to be in 5,000 retail locations nationally, with plans to be in the U.S. market by 2027.
- Edmonton's 7 Summits Snacks has been named one of 10 recipients of the 2026 Mastercard Small Business Fund, receiving a $10,000 grant, mentorship, and access to resources. The Edmonton sports nutrition company, founded by sisters Kristyn and Leanna Carriere, is among the women-owned small businesses recognized by the program, now in its fourth year.
- Jorgia Lindquist, co-founder of DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen, celebrated being the first Canadian to win the Junior Chamber International Creative Young Entrepreneur Award in the Americas. "It is an Edmonton success story through and through," Mayor Andrew Knack told CTV. DON'YA has launched a new product called Protein Perogies, and it has made its pork cabbage rolls and cheddar varenyky available for home delivery through the Edmonton Meals on Wheels frozen meal program at $7.75 per meal. The service is open to seniors, students, and anyone with limited mobility.
- The Connected Kitchen Project has opened a community intake as it takes on a new role supporting food security initiatives through NorQuest College's community kitchen. Founder Michelle Frechette said the project is developing a pantry pipeline with Edmonton's Food Bank to connect grassroots groups with food resources.
- Linda Hoang delivered a keynote at the Culinary Tourism Alliance's Taste of Place Summit, held in Edmonton in partnership with Explore Edmonton. She said a "taste of place" is about more than a dish on a table: "I don't remember every menu item I've eaten over the last decade. But I do remember the truly wonderful people who served the food, cooked the food, grew the food, and dined with me. The connections made and stories shared with people over food. It's always about the people."
- Anohka Distillery's Tempest dry gin was named the best Canadian London dry gin at the World Gin Awards.
- Fu's Repair Shop has produced a line of t-shirts and tote bags in collaboration with Uniqlo, available at the West Edmonton Mall location.
- EPCOR's Glass of the Sask campaign has returned for summer, with more than 30 Edmonton restaurants serving the city's tap water in Glass of the Sask carafes. Five local chefs are also creating signature dishes using Edmonton's tap water as a key ingredient.
- Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis has raised the minimum prices that bars and restaurants must charge for alcoholic drinks for the first time since 2008. Draft beer minimums rose from $0.16 to $0.25 per ounce, meaning a 20-ounce pint must now cost at least $5.
- BILD Edmonton Metro revived its City Scoop Tour during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities 2026 conference in Edmonton, using ice cream shops to illustrate how vibrant local businesses reflect neighbourhood vitality. Stops included Twice Cream, Kind Ice Cream, White Rabbit Ice Cream, and Made by Marcus.
- Peter Keith, director of the eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre, shared insights with Cesar Rojas on building a startup in Edmonton, including his journey from the restaurant world to innovation and entrepreneurship. He covered why most companies aren't a good fit for venture capital, how to vet a co-founder, and what the city's key ecosystem players are.
- Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski, who is the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, is expected to be in Edmonton on June 24 to highlight the federal government's National Food Security Strategy.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- June 23: The Public Farmers Market starting at 3:30pm at Ritchie Community Hall
- June 24: Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market starting at 3:30pm at Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar
- June 24: Seasonal Ingredients Wine Dinner Series: Al Fresco – Asparagus starting at 6:30pm at Sorrentino's (Stony Plain)
- June 25: Listed to Linked - Meet the Members of the CAPE Directory starting at 11am online
- June 25: Thursdays at 108 starting at 4pm at 124 Grand Market
- June 25: A Night in the Vineyards starting at 5:30pm at Acero Artisinal Cuisine
- June 26: Taste of Thailand starting at 5pm at Cask and Barrel
- June 27: St. Albert Farmers Market starting at 10am at St. Albert Place
- June 27: South Common Farmers' Market starting at 10am
- June 27: Summer Block Party starting at 1pm at Rice Howard Way
- June 27: Chinatown After Dark starting at 6pm at 10640 98 Street
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- July 3: Bikes & Beverages x Grow Together YEG at The Buckingham Pub
- July 16-26: Taste of Edmonton at Churchill Square
- July 18: Zoobrew Vol. 2 at Edmonton Valley Zoo
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.