Local Food Makers in Parksville Qualicum Beach

Support local, eat local, shop local is one of our biggest mantras. And one of the tastiest ways to do this is by supporting local food and beverage makers in our region. Not only do they use quality local ingredients, but they are simply delicious.

Sample some of the freshest food and beverages available in Vancouver Island while also supporting local producers and purveyors by visiting and buying items from these artisan options. While select food makers like BoMé Cheese, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, and Catie's have storefronts you can visit in the area, other boutique brands can be found at our local farmers' markets and stores.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks offers a full line of artisanal cheeses, plus a lineup of seasonal favourites that are all available to taste and purchase on their farm in Parksville, as well as in the dairy sections of most local grocery stores. The picnic-perfect "Ranger Box" is available at their on-site Farmgate store and features and assortment of nuts, jelly, garnishes, cured meats and fresh and dried fruits alongside Little Qualicum Cheeseworks' Island Brie, Mt. Moriarty, Qualicum Spice, and Fromage Frais Herbie cheeses.

Catie’s Hot Dilled Beans

Catie's Hot Dilled Beans is an artisan food company producing pickled vegetables, pepper jellies, salsa and fruit jams along Dorman Road in Qualicum Beach. Catie specializes in traditional methods of handmade small-batch preserves using locally sourced ingredients. Aside from their Qualicum Beach storefront, Catie's jarred delicacies can be found at a number of markets and grocery stores throughout Vancouver Island.

Jars of Yellow Deer Mustard on a shelf on Vancouver Island, BC. Image: @musselsandmorepottery — Yellow Deer Mustard. Image: @musselsandmorepottery

Yellow Deer Mustards

Yellow Deer Mustards are made with the finest Canadian ingredients and mustard seed, mixed in small batches and are all natural with no additives or preservatives. Try the classic hot dog mustard, Ol' Yeller, or opt for something a bit sweeter with their Honey mustard, created with 100% Canadian honey. For more adventurous eaters, look for inventive mustards using global flavours like Creole, Curry and Berbere.

Louis Pasture Pork Crisps

Founded by two sisters who were looking for a protein-rich snack for their paleo diets, Louis Pasture Pork Crisps' pork crisps and cracklings are handmade in small batches and use only the highest quality, traditionally raised local pork. These paleo, ketogenic and preservative-free snacks are the perfect fuel for hikes through our region's parks, trails and mountains.

Table display of BoMe Cheeses at a farmers market in Parksville Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island.

BoMé Cheese

Coombs-based BoMé Cheese offers fine artisan cheeses that bring together local pride, old world heritage, and that groovy west coast style. Visit their cheese shop café to try their full range of products, German cuisine, and watch them make cheeses through giant panorama windows.

Autumn Leaves Maple Farm

Autumn Leaves Maple Farm harvests one of Vancouver Island's sweetest bounties — syrup from the bigleaf maple trees that grow on Mount Arrowsmith. This variety of maple syrup is exclusive to the western side of the country and rivals the taste of the eastern red and sugar maples. Find bottles of Autumn Leaves' syrup at local farmers' markets, including the weekly Qualicum Beach Farmers' Market.