Top 5 Food Picks at the One of a Kind Spring Show 2013
Easter is just around the corner, Passover festivities are in full swing, and, to add to the celebrations that many are experiencing, the One of a Kind Spring Show is upon us.
We attended the late night shopping day on Thursday, where a DJ is playing all night, drinks are flowing, and, the general atmosphere becomes a huge shopping party. It is a great night to check out the show, staying open until 11 PM.
Being foodies, our first stop at the show is always food. While the Spring show is smaller than the Christmas show, there is still plenty of delicious food from which to choose. This brings us to our top 5 food picks for the show. In no particular order, our top 5 picks are:
1. Tealish – http://www.tealish.com/ – Booth C-25
Having debuted at the One of a Kind Christmas 2012 show, Tealish is one of our favourite teas shops in Toronto. Using only natural ingredients in all of their teas, their depth of knowledge and variety of flavours is incomparable. With a large variety of White, Green, Black, Chai, Herbal, Rooibos, and Oolong teas, in a variety of blends, this locally owned and operated Queen West gem is a must visit booth at the show.
2. Organic Gold Mustard – http://www.organicgold.ca/ – Booth B-25
We also first discovered this amazing mustard company at the 2012 One of a Kind Christmas Show, and, were immediately hooked. We love our mustard, with a lot of flavour and just the right amount of kick, which is exactly what we get in our favourite Organic Gold Mustards. Made is small batches, you are likely to find your new favourite mustard in one of the 8 flavours they produce. To boot, mustard is very distinctly Canadian. Did you know that Canada grows 95% of the world’s mustard? How is that for a trivia question? Natalie, the owner, gave us an inside secret that another mustard based product may be in the works. Can’t wait to see what comes next for this great company.
3. Pepper Brew – http://pepperbrew.com/ – Booth B-59
We first tasted Pepper Brew in summer of 2012, and, it immediately became a favourite of ours. The kick in their gourmet hot sauces is just perfect. You taste all of the flavour, get all of the heat, without burning your taste buds. This is the epitome of what hot sauce should be. Their Lime In’ was such a hit at the 2012 One of a Kind Christmas Show that they packaged it in their larger bottles for this show. Give them all a taste and start adding a kick to your cooking with Pepper Brew.
4. Mary MacLeod’s Shortbread – http://www.marymacleod.ca/ – Booth B-29
A legend in Riverside, it is great to see Mary MacLeod at the Spring One of a Kind Show. You have never tasted shortbread until you taste Mary MacLeod’s Shortbread. All of the flavours are delicious, but, the traditional shortbread remains our favourite. In the business for over 30 years, Mary’s handmade all butter shortbread can’t be beat. A recipe that stands the test of time, this shortbread makes a great gift for the host/hostess of your holiday gatherings.
5. Sabores Latinos – http://www.saboreslatinos.ca/ – Booth C-22
We just love this all natural line of delicious salsas, dips, and prepared foods. Using local ingredients as much as possible, with no additives or preservatives, the fresh tastes explode in your mouth. We particularly enjoyed the mango salsa and smokey hot bean dip. Yum! The prepared foods looked just as delicious. Using meat from Rowe Farms, you know you are getting a top notch meal. Stop into this booth, taste your way around their selections, and take home some goodies to incorporate into your meals.
Outside of food, we always love discovering the talent of the other amazing artisans. An awesome new addition to the show is the Etsy section, where some great artisans that sell through Etsy have the chance to present their goods to this receptive crowd. The section was swamped with people.
We cannot forget the fashion section, where amazing talents from across Canada converge to show their unique pieces. We are always big fans of Dinh Ba (Booth P-31), Candi Factory (Booth J-13), and Eve Gravel (Booth P-44).
A few final recommendations, Paul Aude (Booth E-42) and Veinage (Booth M-33) for handbags, Soap Utopia (Booth L-04) for amazing natural soaps and lip balms, and, the fantastic (and super affordable) jewellery of Meto Jacques Bastien (Booth Q-41).
This is one of our favourite shows in the city. Check out the show for yourself and let us know your favourites. We are already looking forward to the 2013 Christmas Show, and, discovering all the delicious goodies that we can gift for the holidays.