Food Roundup
Oct. 13, 2026
The co-founder of 7 Summits Snacks says she is both honoured and vindicated by a People's Choice Award win at Edmonton Startup Week. "It's truly an honour, especially because this is such a tech-focused group of startups at a tech-focused event," Kristyn Carriere told Taproot during Launch Party at Edmonton Unlimited on Oct. 8. "To have a food innovation company in Edmonton be the people's choice winner truly pleases my heart, and it shows the power of our community." On LinkedIn, she added, "Innovation doesn't only live in code. Sometimes it lives in a chocolate."
Carriere's athlete-focused brand was one of many innovative food businesses to pitch at a Startup Week session on Oct. 7. Lisa Bélanger described founding Flat Out Feasts after she almost died of starvation on a cross-continent hike despite eating regularly; she created freeze-dried, low-carb meals that provide more direct nutrition and can now be found at stores such as Mountain Equipment Company. Maria Chau of Zwick's Pretzels talked about the challenges of keeping up with growing demand, having closed her storefront in 2023 but expanding her reach to the skies — Zwick's is now available on regional airlines. The other pitches came from Gummy Nutrition Lab, which stocks gummies at Wal-Mart; DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen; which was featured on Dragon's Den; Token Mocktails, the next step for Token Bitters; Bevada, a Calgary-area mocktail brand available in Edmonton; BRiiNE, a sparkling beverage that maximizes hydration; 529 Hard Protein Seltzer, a fitness-conscious drink launching soon; Super Amigos Mexican Street Food, which is opening soon at 9935 69 Avenue NW; Compass Chocolates, a chocolatier inspired by global flavours; Blush Cake Bar, which makes customizable cakes at rapid speed; and figorar, a digital loyalty card platform.
The pitchers also heard advice from veterans of food entrepreneurship during a panel hosted by Peter Keith from the eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre. The food entrepreneur behind Meuwly's sat down with Jacqueline Jacek of JACEK Chocolate Couture and Greg Zeschuk of Blind Enthusiasm to share stumbles and successes. Their advice included tidbits such as not to devalue your product with markdowns or compromises in quality. They also stressed that you don't need to make a product for everyone, with Keith saying you should decide if you want to be the cheapest or the best. "You can't be both," he told the audience.
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Openings
- Nom, the rebranded Nomiya, is now open at 3803 Calgary Trail NW.
- Kabab & Rotisserie by ID, a sister restaurant of ID Donair, is now open at 10455 82 Avenue NW, offering Turkish and Mediterranean food.
- Food truck Streetside Smokehouse has moved into the Granite Curling Club for the winter.
- Filipino restaurant Elio's held a soft opening on Oct. 12 at 335 Parsons Road SW.
- Jumo Korean Diner is now open at 9219A 34 Avenue NW.
- Surf & Turf Seafood and Meats has opened a second Edmonton location, at Ritchie Plaza at 9624 76 Avenue NW.
Closings
- Paperbirch, Shane Chartrand's kiosk at the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, is closing after two years. He will continue to host Indigenous Taste of the Market dinners in the space. The future of the cafe has not yet been announced.
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Headlines
- EVO and Delavoye Chocolate Maker are among seven Edmonton-based businesses and organizations that have received the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce's Rainbow Registered accreditation, with support from the City of Edmonton. "I'm going to step in if I see something that isn't appropriate; I really don't mind kicking people out," Delavoye's Antoine Lavoie told CTV News Edmonton. Campio Brewing Co. is in the application process.
- Best Hydrate in Sherwood Park has developed a sports drink that could also help people with Crohn's disease. Co-founder and CEO Austin Swiniarski told CBC's Edmonton AM about how hydration products helped him avoid surgery for the condition, inspiring him to create his own version. He worked with chief scientific officer Spencer Proctor, chair of agricultural, food, and nutritional science at the University of Alberta, on Best Hydrate. "By keeping it simple, we can keep costs down while still being able to ensure the science is exactly where it needs to be," Proctor said.
- Transcend Coffee will mark its 20th anniversary with an Oct. 14 documentary screening. ORIGIN: The Legal Maverick & The Micro-Mill Revolution follows founder Poul Mark's relationship with Francisco Mena of Exclusive Coffees and Costa Rica's independent micro-mill movement.
- Double Lunch and Brotherhood of Plates are bringing free High Dough pizza back to Winterruption. The first 60 guests to arrive at CKUA on Jan. 22 will get a slice as they prepare for sets by Borscht, Wayfinding, and The Boojums.
- Chef Blair Lebsack of RGE RD shared a recipe for glazed carrots with Swiss chard and hemp seeds with The Tomato.
- Beer columnist Jason Foster visited the new Yeasty Boys Brewing on Happy Beer Street, telling CBC Edmonton's Radio Active how the three owners did most of the building renovations themselves over the past two years. Their vision is to be "fun, playful, and creative," Foster said, noting the inspirations of Beastie Boys and skateboarding culture.
- Alley Kat Brewing Co.'s Pumpkin Pie Spiced Ale caught the attention of drinks writer Nick Jeffrey in a roundup of seasonal brews. Released each fall since 2007, the beer leans more into spice than pumpkin, Jeffrey wrote.
- Meads from Iron Hive Meadery run dry, sweet, and patio-friendly, Edify staff concluded from a taste test. They tried all three of Iron Hive's current offerings: Frost Bite, Pioneer's Blood, and Gold Rush.
- Shiddy's launched its first non-alcoholic canned cocktail, a gin-and-tonic-style drink with juniper, coriander, citrus, elderflower, chamomile, and hibiscus. Coming up on Oct. 21, Shiddy's and The Common will serve gluten-free drinks and food aboard the Edmonton Radial Railway Society's streetcar.
- Argentinian baker Julieta Jerez, who started Alfajores YEG last year, shared her work with CBC's Edmonton AM in a segment marking Latin American Heritage Month. Jerez makes treats such as sandwich cookies stuffed with dulce de leche.
- Seven food businesses are slated to join the EVER on Baseline development in Sherwood Park. They include Chick-fil-A, Jersey Mike's Subs, OEB Breakfast Co., Taco Bell, Shelby's Canada, Hi Yogurt, and Midori Ramen.
- Agritourism Alberta has launched near Bon Accord at Prairie Gardens after previously operating as the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association. It plans to provide training, accreditation, safety guidance and business support to farm-based tourism operators.
- After being named a company to watch at Edmonton Startup Week and pitching for Startup TNT's fall investment summit, Aqtiva reported that its 2026 pilots showed an average 25% increase in yield compared with growers' untreated rows across seven trials, six crops, and three Alberta farms. It said gains ranged from 12% to 44%.
- University of Alberta researchers spun out Rosette Robotics after developing an AI-assisted system to inspect crop seeds. Its robotic arm scans trays containing potentially thousands of seeds, and inspectors can isolate individual seeds for closer examination. It was one of 27 companies to pitch on Oct. 1 for Startup TNT's fall investment summit.
- Edmonton city council voted 7-6 to keep the 25-cent fee for paper bags at drive-thrus. An administrative report found single-use waste has fallen 30% since Edmonton introduced its single-use item bylaw in 2023, although the data does not distinguish between different types of retailers.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- Oct. 13: Thoughtful Tuesday - All The World Is Green starting at 6pm at Earth's Refillery Coop
- Oct. 16: The House Always Lies – A High Stakes Murder Mystery Dinner starting at 6:30pm at Grand Villa Casino
- Oct. 16: Chickstock starting at 6pm at Zocalo
- Oct. 17: Uncle Sando Pop-Up starting at 11am at District Cafe Campus
- Oct. 17: Picklefest starting at 11am at Fan Park
- Oct. 17: Meet Mary Taylor at Boxer starting at 4pm at Boxer Kitchen & Bar
- Oct. 19: Sushi Making Class Halloween Special starting at 6pm at Yuwa's Studio
- Oct. 20: Doing More With Less: Growing Food Sovereignty in Cuba starting at 2pm at University of Alberta (University Commons Building)
- Oct. 21: The Common x Shiddy's Gluten-Free Autumn Streetcar starting at 6pm at High Level Bridge Streetcar
- Oct. 21: Domaine Devillard Wine Dinner starting at 6pm at The Marc
- Oct. 21: Whisky Blending 101 Experience starting at 7pm at Relish Bar and Market
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- Nov. 3: Sawmill's 50th Anniversary Fundraising Gala at Sawmill Prime Rib & Steakhouse
- Nov. 6-7: Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival at Edmonton Convention Centre
- Nov. 18: Hot Chefs Cool bEATS at Royal Glenora Club
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.