'Pair beer with farm fresh food': Province gives OK for craft brewers to sell in farm markets
For five years, craft brewers in Ontario have been asking for access to sell in the more than 180 local farmers markets.
They've finally have been granted their wish.
"You can now buy the perfect beer to pair with your farm fresh food you're picking up for dinner," Doug Downey, Ontario's attorney general said Friday from St. Jacob's Market in Woolwich, Ont.
"I urge everyone to seek out these amazing products and support local businesses. You can feel good knowing you're buying local directly from the brewers themselves."
At London, Ont.'s Forked River Brewing Co. (FRBC) Founder David Reed says the policy change will bring much more awareness.
"People need to know that there are local breweries in your backyard that are owned by your neighbours," says Reed. "Getting in front of people in a local farmers market and talking about beer is fantastic."
David Reed, founder of Forked River Brewing Co. in London, Ont. pours a beer at his brewery on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (Brent Lale / CTV News)
It's also great news for businesses who have struggled during the pandemic.
"Through COVID It's been are we open? Are we closed? Are we indoors or outdoors?" says Reed.
"We've had the luxury that we can still distribute through the other channels like the LCBO and the grocery stores, but we do rely on our local communities to buy product from us."
The fight by craft brewers, which started in 2016, has now come to an end.
During the pandemic, the Ford government has also allowed bars and restaurants to sell alcohol with takeout orders and also allowed for the sale of beer and wine in supermarkets.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson speaks at St. Jacob's Market in Woolwich, Ont. on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.
"Before COVID-19 pandemic hit local breweries, cideries wineries and distillers were thriving," says MPP Lisa Thompson, Ontario's minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.
"Now we will are looking at recovery and growing forward."
Eligible brewers can apply to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
The policy actually came into effect about six months ago, but had limited uptake.
However, one of those who took advantage of the early start was River Road Brewing and Hops from Bayfield, Ont.
River Road Brewing and Hops from Bayfield, Ont. has had a booth in Western Fair Market in London, Ont. since June 2021. (Brent Lale / CTV News)
They have had a booth in London's Western Fair District Market since June.
"It's been really good," says Kate Cleeg, who works for River Road. "We've had lots of people coming and giving the beer a try, and also being interested in popping out to the farm and checking out the live music over the summer."
The province feels this move will help will boost jobs in the industry and give small brewers valuable exposure to customers.
"We have heard from many brewers that having a stall at farmers markets, is like having another retail store on those days," says Scott Scott Simmons, president of Ontario Craft Brewers.
"Say cheers to local craft beers and local farmers markets."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.