Ciao Aug/Sep 2017 Digital Digital_CIAO_AugSep2017 | Page 14

inthekitchen
retailer of the year:
Red River Co-op
Red River Co-op began operations 80 years
ago as a small shop in northwest Winnipeg.
Over the years, the company expanded its
inventory and vision. Today, Red River Co-op
is the second-largest retail Co-op in Western
Canada with more than 290,000 active
members and annual sales exceeding $600
million.
Despite massive growth, this chain has
kept true to humble beginnings by shining
a spotlight on Manitoba made food and
making it easy to buy. The abundance
of provincially grown or made products
on grocery store shelves ref lects consumer
demand and an increase in foodstuf f
production. Food and Beverage Manitoba
(formerly MFPA) jumped from 100 members
in 1997 to more than 300 members today.
In 2014, Red River Co-op partnered
with Buy Manitoba to connect with local
vendors. In a series of on going “Dragon’s
Den” style presentations, producers gave
samples and shared their story to win
over shelf space. Once selected, business
owners are responsible for stocking shelves,
providing samples and in-store promotions.
Close to 50 Manitoba brands are currently
c a r r ied ; ever y t h i ng f rom establ ished
favourites like creamy Bothwell cheese,
Nature’s Farm pasta, and Winnipeg Old
Country sausage stand with new launches
like Smak Dab Mustard and Fauxnola. For
a commitment to offering a wide range of
products and leadership in supporting and
working with local businesses, Red River
Co-op has been awarded Ciao! Magazine’s
Good Food Manitoba 2017 Retailer of the
Year. — NB
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acts as mentor to students passing through
the restaurant, both as part of the RRC
co-op program and the LEGO program,
which connects struggling teenagers with
restaurant work.
It was as a high school student in
Beausejour, Manitoba, that Steven began
cooking as part of a co-op program to earn
extra credit. Under the tutelage of chef Peter
Kubaluk, he not only learned chef skills but
adopted a new philosophy of food. Seeing
the diversity of the kitchen staff, and how
people from wildly varied backgrounds
could come together to create something
delicious, inspired him. The kitchen was the
great equalizer, a way to create a community.
After graduating, Steven moved to
Winnipeg and completed the Red River
College culinary program, with a three year
apprenticeship under chef Roger Wilton at
Centerplate (Bell MTS Place), then became
Head Chef at the Dande