Cultural Flavours of Northern Alberta

Cultural Flavours of Northern Alberta: Following Le CDEA’s Foodie Trails (Part 1)

Story and Photos by Rumble Alberta Influencers Rheannon Green and Tannis Baker, Food Tourism Strategies Inc.

There are many different routes to get across Alberta. Major highways, back roads. Weaving your way through the landscape, or taking the most direct path to your ultimate destination. When it comes to Northern Alberta, the best route to explore the area is actually the most delicious – through Le CDEA’s foodie trails. Le CDEA is actually Le Conseil de Développement Économique de l’Alberta (or the Economic Development Council of Alberta), who supports the development of an autonomous, dynamic, and innovative French-speaking economic power. As part of their support of Francophone businesses, they have developed themed routes across the province, including both a Craft Beer and a Regional Flavours tour. These naturally caught our attention and we decided that the best way to traverse the expanse of Northern Alberta was to eat and drink our way across. As our ultimate goal was to get from Grande Prairie to Lloydminster, we decided to combine both trails into one super trail, hitting up 20 stops in 15 different towns over 5 days. With our route mapped and our bellies empty, we hit the road to experience some of the best that Northern Alberta has to offer.

The first stop came at GP Brewing in Grande Prairie. This local brewery has gone through a major overhaul in recent times, moving from a substantial taproom and brewing facility in a central location, to a brewing facility in an industrial park that focuses more on production than on hosting. They do have some taps available for growler fills, and a small retail section with cans, shirts, and other GP merchandise. Fans of their beers can still find them readily available at local liquor stores, but it’s not the place to sit for a pint with some friends at the moment. Hopefully down the road, we’ll see them with a bustling taproom once again.

Situated a little over an hour north of Grande Prairie is the tiny town of Fairview. There’s not too much to see, but one thing is for sure – it should be on every craft beer lover’s bucket list. Located right off the main highway through town, Heilan Beer House is definitely the place to go for good food and great beer. It would be right at home in Oregon alongside some of the best brewpubs in the world – definitely not what you would expect to find in small town rural Alberta! The building itself is a seamless blend of rustic and modern features, from their hand-painted murals to the wooden accents to the hop-inspired light fixtures. When they are not brewing up delicious local craft beer, they also run a family-friendly restaurant with a tasty menu of pizzas and pub fare that uses local ingredients. Not in the mood for beer? They also make hard seltzers, kombucha, and have a small selection of cocktails. If you live in the area, you should definitely invest in the Mug Club, which gets you your own personal mug at the brewhouse, and a discount on beer and merchandise throughout the year. Needless to say, a perfect investment if you aren’t just passing through, but they do have lots of merch for sale that you can grab (along with some beer to-go!).

Continuing another hour northeast of Fairview brings you into the town of Peace River (and the northernmost stop on our whole itinerary). Peace River itself runs through the town, creating stunning views for many of the businesses in the town. Peace River Brewing sits on the riverbank, and though there are only partial views of the river from their patio, the mural on the side of their building is super fun and brightens up the space. Their taproom and retail store are everything you want at a brewery. The taproom side has large tables (perfect for gathering with friends) that are right in the brewery, giving you a great view of all the behind-the-scenes operations. The retail side is lit up with growlers as lights (super fun!), and is packed full of PRB merchandise, as well as other local artisan products and a stellar selection of local food products as well (including Old School Cheesery, Sylvan Star Cheese, and Brew Bites spent grain crackers made from PRB’s own spent grain!). Even Fido is taken care of, with a selection of accessories and toys made just for them. A great place for a pit stop to fill your cooler and recharge your battery before hitting the once road again.

We had a bit to go until our next stop in Slave Lake, a few hours southeast, and mostly open fields and flat spaces filled our views. Nearing the west end of Lesser Slave Lake, the views changed more to wooded areas, with forest lining both sides of the road. There are still several areas of burnt trees, the remnants of devastating forest fires that engulfed much of the area a few years ago. The sun was setting as we made our way to Slave Lake, with glimpses of lake views through the trees. After a long day of driving, we decided to wait until the next day to visit our next stop.

Slave Lake is the home to Dog Island Brewing, a local success story of oil patch workers and homebrewers turned full-time brewers during the economic downturn. Opening their doors in 2016, they keep things fresh and local as much as possible, while creating brews that even the pickiest of palates can enjoy. The taproom is beautiful, with a covered patio space that may not boast the best views (it’s in an industrial park), but you sure can’t beat the atmosphere. While most of Alberta’s craft beer drinkers will be familiar with a small selection of their brews, you have to visit them in Slave Lake if you want to experience the full extent of their lineup. It’s well worth the visit to collect unique brews like Foggy Dew NEPA, Tongue Punch Sour, and Mahalo Pineapple Pilsner. Being the homegrown team that they are, they focus on serving their local community first, so it’s unlikely that their full lineup will reach the far corners of the province anytime soon. Oh well, sounds like another visit through Northern Alberta may be in the works!

A few hours south is where the Regional Flavours trail begins. Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm is located just outside of Bon Accord, and it’s the perfect stop for kids of all ages. A leader in the agritourism industry, Tam Anderson and her team offer year-round entertainment for the whole family. Kids make a beeline for the corn maze and play zone. The upick and garden centres are bustling at all hours of the day. If you keep an eye on their social accounts, you may even be able to get a ticket to one of their farm-to-table dinners. Be warned – they sell out fast! The veggies grown at Prairie Gardens can be tasted at many restaurants in the Edmonton area, including foodie favourite RGE RD, which works with them to adapt their menus to what is available, ensuring the freshest and best quality ingredients are being served. We recommend getting there early in the day to experience as many of their offerings as you can.

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

About 45 minutes up Highway 28, Serben Farms takes the farm-to-table concept one step further, doing their own butchery, sausage-making, curing, and smoking right in their on-farm shop. A few minutes outside of the town of Smoky Lake, this fifth-generation family farm raises pigs and a flock of laying hens, which can all be seen right outside the farm store. They work with other local producers to provide beef, dairy, and other local products in their store, making them a one-stop shop for all delicious local foods. You can even order sides of pork and beef! This place makes the perfect pit stop for any road trip, complete with an ice cream stand for the hot summer days. Families can enjoy a much-needed break while the kids watch the animals, and the parents can stock their coolers with everything they need from snacks to full meals. Make sure you have lots of room though –you’ll need it!

One thing that you typically don’t find at Serben Farms is fresh bread but have no fear – only a few minutes down the road in Smoky Lake is the Old Fashioned Bread Bakery. This bakery is a staple in the community, having set up shop in 19XX. Not only do they serve up tasty homemade bread and pastries, but they also specialize in Ukrainian-style breakfasts and lunches. They sell out almost every single day, which is a testament to just how delicious everything is. While the inside is set up mostly for grab and go, there are a few seats available where you can enjoy local art. In our opinion, the best place to enjoy your goodies is actually in the small garden space beside the bakery, known as the Peeche Garden. Every single bite of the pastries we enjoyed left you wanting more, so you should probably double your order, just in case.

To finish off the first leg of our journey, we found ourselves in the town of St Paul. The unassuming town has a lot of heart and strong community relationships, which are embodied by Twisted Fork. The passion project of Chef Debra Poulin, this restaurant should be on every single person’s list of places to visit. Focused on creating seasonal menus that highlight Lakeland-area producers, Twisted Fork supports dozens of local farms, producers, breweries, distilleries, artists, and other businesses. They make just about everything from scratch so that they can address dietary restrictions as needed. The few things they don’t make themselves (like their breads), they source from amazing local producers. If you can’t make up your mind for what to order, you can’t go wrong with the charcuterie board that is full of delicious local meats and cheeses, paired with some of their delicious house-made preserves and assorted accoutrements. Unpretentious and approachable, their menus have mass appeal, making it the perfect spot for any occasion.

The final stop, just minutes away from Twisted Fork (and one of their suppliers), is Lakeland Brewing. A small-batch brewery, they’ve become a go-to spot for locals and visitors alike. In addition to their eight rotating taps that they always have on the go, you can also enjoy some great pub snacks, or even a game of virtual golf! They also have a private seating area available for functions, which seats up to 70 people. We recommend ordering a flight so that you can sample the different brews they have available at the moment, but make sure you have room, because their tasting glasses are bigger than most other breweries! With a lively atmosphere throughout the evening, it’s a great place to sit back and enjoy a pint or two before turning in for the night. After all, tomorrow’s another day of delicious stops!