Best of qathet: Groceries & Home Products

HOW TO SHOP FOR GROCERIES: First, line up for fresh produce. Once it’s secured, grab yourself some Dump Run Provisions pelmeni and a piece of cake from Cottage Creek Bake shop, then tap your toes along with the Stardusters.

Best grocery store for atmosphere

#1 Quality Foods

#2 Save On Foods / Mitchell Bros

#3 FreshCo

Other best answers: FreshCo, for the music • Save on, when Jennifer’s on duty! (in qathet, we get to know each cashier.)

Best price on groceries

#1 FreshCo

#2 Save On Foods

#3 Townsite Fruit & Veg

Staff Notes: Grocery prices – along with gas prices – have been soaring this year. Overall, and officially, prices are up 9.7% since a year ago. But when you’re leaving the store with a couple of bags that are not too heavy to carry, and you’ve just forked over a hundred bucks, 9.7 seems low. Here’s to our local retailers who give us options by offering great sales and points, buying local when they can, and keeping things on the shelves during the craziest supply chain in recent history.

Best line-up experience

#1 FreshCo

#2 Mitchell Bros

#3 Farmers’ Market

Best produce

#1 Farmers’ Markets

#2 Townsite Fruit & Veg

#3 CSAs: Terra Nostra and Paradise Valley

Best butcher

#1 Chopping Block

#2 Mitchell Bros

#3 Andtbaka / Quality Foods

Best Farmers’ Market booth for produce

#1 Andtbaka Farm

#2 Terra Nostra

#3 Blueberry Commons

Best Farmers’ Market booth for prepared food

#1 Dump Run Provisions

#2 Cottage Creek Bake Shop

#3 Mama Rania’s Syrian Cuisine

Best bakery item

#1 Nancy’s Bakery – Cinnamon Bun

#2 Hearth & Grain – Sourdough Loaf / Almond Croissant

#3 32 Lakes – Croissant

Best small grocery or specialty store

#1 Sunny Deli

#2 Chopping Block

#3 Townsite Fruit & Veg

Best convenience store

#1 Townsite Grocery

#2 Tla’amin Convenience

#3 Pacific Point

Best liquor store

#1 Capone’s Cellar

#2 Duke’s Liquor Store

#3 BCLC

Best farm gate

#1 Andtbaka Farm

#2 Terra Nostra Farm gate

#3 Paradise Valley / Blueberry Commons

Best pet food source

#1 Mother Nature

#2 Pet Valu

#3 Top Shelf Feeds

Best locally-made soap

#1 Lund Soap Company

#2 Powell River Natural Soap Lady

#3 Sweet Earth Soap Works