Supporting Local in Nova Scotia During the Pandemic

Nova Scotia has been promoting #SupportLocal for years, and now with the pandemic it is more important than ever before. It is so crucial to support small business, producers, farmers, creators and everything in between. Most importantly to support our neighbours and friends. Even though the population of the province is nearing one million it still has a small town feel to it where ever you go which I think helps encourage our need and want to help each other. After speaking with some local content creators and friends I have compiled this list together of some great local products and producers in Nova Scotia right now that have been our go-tos during this tough time.

Great Local Products in Nova Scotia

Cailin from NovaScotiaExplorer.com

One of the local restaurants that I have been buying from a lot during these past couple of months is the Rhubarb Restaurant in Peggy’s Cove. It is a local family run restaurant with delicious locally sourced foods. My family has been loving the homemade donair pies and their lobster rolls which are one of my favorites in the whole province. I have also been enjoying Lake City Cider’s new Black Currant Snakebite Rosé drink which is a collab with Spindrift brewery. The Snakebite is a mix of Spindrift’s Killick Session Lager and Lake City’s Darkside dry cider topped off with house-fermented black currant wine. This is the perfect drink to enjoy on the deck on a hot summers day. 

I have also been feeling the urge to show off my Nova Scotian pride during these trying times and I’ve been really wanting a Nova Scotian tartan scarf. I saw that My Home Apparel had some gorgeous looking tartan scarfs for sale but were unfortunately sold out. Then I learned that they had some available through Jennifer’s of Nova Scotia. I ended up buying two scarfs along with some Lure Caramels from Jennifer’s and helped support not one, but three small local businesses.

Arthur from Halifax Retales

One of my favourite things in town are the dumplings from El Chino Snack Bar, and while I am not there every week around every 8 to 10 weeks I would drop in usually on a Wednesday for an order of dumplings and pint.
It was something I was craving in the stay at home times. When the opportunity came up for a special weekend order I jumped on it. They were offering a dozen of their dumplings freshly made to go. Order via email, pay via e-transfer if you like however I chose to pay in-store and choose a couple beverages as well. Instructions on how to cook were on the package , take them home cook them add their sauce and some green onions and it itched that craving.

Thanh from Love and Sundays

I have been enjoying Foxhound candles from Duly Noted. Lighting one daily is so soothing. I love that they are locally hand poured in Truro. We have been also enjoying a variety of locally farmed meats and veggies from the Local Source that keep our meals fresh and healthy. I have also been treating myself to Dee Dees Ice Cream. Who doesn’t love a good scoop to lift their spirits. Baking sourdough bread has additionally been therapy for me. I am thankful for my sourdough starter from the Nicole Lapierre online shop. 

Ayngelina from Bacon Is Magic

I am currently living in Kentville and am lucky to be located near so many local farms. Local farm markets have made it really easy to buy local Nova Scotian food, adapting to this time with special services. My family and I have ordered from both Henny Penny’s farm market and Foote’s farm market. They allow you to call ahead in the morning and place a fresh produce order. You can give them your credit card number in advance and everything is paid for. At Henny Penny’s they leave a box outside with your food and Foote’s will pop it in your trunk if needed. I have loved cooking with their fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and local honey crisp apples. Most importantly it allows us to support a local business instead of buying produce from a national chain. 

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Kayla from Short Presents

We live downtown so we love supporting all of our local restaurants. A meal that really sticks out during this time is the chicken sandwich, and burrito bowl from the Gahan House. OMG it was so good ! Over the past few weeks we’ve tried a bunch of things from their take-out menu and honestly loved every one. You can’t go wrong. Another service we’ve been loving is the wine delivery from Harvest Wines. They offer a variety of local wines, spirits, beer, and ready to drink coolers. It’s a super seamless way to support local while we continue to social distance.

Catherine from Fork UR Diet

Almonak restaurant and juice company attached, Sprout Therapy, have been my go-to spots for food & refreshing drinks these past few months. Picking just one dish to recommend from Almonak is like asking a parent to chose their favourite child. It just ain’t right. Sooo, I’ve narrowed my suggestions down to a fam with three kids; chorizo meatballs, dirty rice, and the brussels sprouts. What’s great about Almonak’s menu is that they have both a protein and a veggie section so those with dietary limitations are still included. 

Sprout Therapy, on the other hand, has been an incredible source for my nutrition intake. They have cold-pressed juices ranging from cleanses and morning elixirs to cold brew and homemade almond mylk. Right now I’m trying to get as many fruits and veggies in me (all about that balance though) and Sprout Therapy has been the way to go! 

Davey & Sky from Davey and Sky

The past few months have been difficult for small businesses in rural Cape Breton with many having to close for most of April and May. One thing we have been so thankful to have though is the above and beyond work efforts that local grocery stores have gone through to not only be open, but to support local products in their store. Local produce, maple syrup, gift items, baked goods, etc. Communities have loved the free home deliveries from family run businesses like the Mabou Freshmart, Brook Village Grocery and Big Spruce Brewing. If you haven’t tried Big Spruce’s Silver Tart yet, please do yourself a favour and get to it ASAP! It is the beer of summer in our household.

Local bakeries like Helen’s Bakery have been making sure everyone has fresh bread and now with rhubarb season here will be baking all the local rhubarb delights. Fishing season also began during the pandemic and we have had quite a few feeds of lobster straight from the fisherman’s wharf. Now as restaurants start to open and summer is here we can’t wait to dine at : The Clove Hitch in Port Hood, L’abri in Cheticamp, and checking out all the food trucks that will be in full swing around the Cabot Trail. Overall, Cape Breton has so much local goodness to offer. We hope you are as excited as us to explore and dine close to home all summer long.

Lindsay from Eat This Town

I’ve had the take ‘n’ bake lasagna from Mappatura Bistro a couple of times now and it is such a treat. They are my favourite restaurant in Halifax, and they haven’t missed a beat as the world got turned on its head. Simone can also recommend the perfect wine pairing to go with your lasagna and they’ll pop it in your trunk for you. Good Robot has also been good to me during these trying times. Their cut-off for same day delivery orders is 6pm, which has come in really handy for those last-minute beer cravings. I leave my empty growler outside my door, and they replace it with a full one. I’m a big fan of the Mexican lager, the Brut IPA and lately the fermented seltzer has been refreshing. 

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This is just a small selection of all of the wonderful local companies, food and products available in Nova Scotia. Hopefully with all of our support they will be around to bring us joy for a long time. If you have bought some great local products in Nova Scotia that you love share them with us in the comments.