Kitchen Farmacy Using TRF Funding to Boost Ecommerce

PKED caught up with Kitchen Farmacy located in Lakefield, Ontario to talk about how they are using the Tourism Resiliency Fund to help their business through recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic

1. Where did the idea/concept for your business come from? (Or just share some important local history of your business)

Josh has always been a passionate farm to table chef. He wanted to show that by using local produce, with the goal of only sourcing products within 40km of Peterborough.

2. What has it been like navigating the pandemic with your business?

Navigating the Pandemic was challenging. Fear defiantly set in. But through fear gave us resilience to adapt and peruse a new avenue of our catering business “Meal to Go”. Through helpful grants like PKED, small business loans and a lot of hard work we were able to adapt quickly.

3. What will you be using the TRF funding towards?

The TRF fund will help pay for some of the expenses incurred during in the pandemic i.e commercial refrigeration, hydro upgrade, online shop.

4. What are your hopes for the business in the next few years?

Kitchen Farmacy is currently going through an expansion project that will be announced at the end of the year. The expansion will mean our products will be readily available for consumers in a new experience.

5. What is it like owning a business in Peterborough & the Kawarthas?

Kitchen Farmacy is so impressed by how loyal and friendly our clients are. It been a privilege to have a business in this area and can’t wait to grow with our Kitchen Farmacy Fans and community alike.

6. What makes your business unique to our region? 

Farm to table food has always been a passion for Josh. When he moved to Ontario, he found that although there was an abundance of seasonal food and local producers, it wasn’t widely available to consumers in an easy to eat way. In 2018, he launched Kitchen Farmacy at the weekend Farmer’s Market in Peterborough. His stand quickly developed a following and each week the demand continued and his dishes sold out. Since the launch, Kitchen Farmacy has developed a community of trusted suppliers for our local and seasonal ingredients. Kitchen Farmacy further expanded to hosting pop-up restaurants, fundraisers and catering.

7. What is your favourite thing about living and working in Peterborough & the Kawarthas?

The people & produce, having already spoke about how amazing the people are I would like to share how incredible the farming community is to work with. Talent is an understatement the product that we receive into our kitchen is an absolute pleasure to work with and our team get a weekly changing menu so it always a pleasant surprise what the next week will bring from the farms.    

PKED is profiling several tourism-dependent businesses that were successful in receiving Tourism Resiliency Funding to support costs associated with adapting to public health measures and safety reopening, which will support the tourism industry’s recovery in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.