Ciao! Aug/Sept 2016 Digital Issue | Page 14

inthekitchen retailer of the year: Cocoabeans Bakeshop About eight years ago, Betsy Hiebert, along with a few family members, was diagnosed with Celiac disease, which renders the body incapable of processing gluten. Disappointed at the substitutes available for gluten-free baked goods, she was determined to find a way to feed her family the tasty treats they missed. Instead of using wheat, which has a natural binder that provides elasticity, Betsy developed recipes using bananas, flax, chia, psyllium and powdered egg substitute to help hold her baked goods together. She introduced her products at several farmer’s markets and local retailers, where they were snapped up by gluten and non-gluten eaters alike. Demand led Betsy to open Cocoabeans Bakeshop on Tache Ave in December 2012. Since its launch, she has gained many loyal customers who are overjoyed to find they are able to eat the foods they love again. It is not uncommon for Moms visiting the shop for the first time to burst into tears upon realizing they are able to give their loved ones the simple pleasures the rest of the family enjoys, from healthy morning muffins to moist birthday cake. Customer reactions have been ample motivation to expand the product selection, which now includes items like pizza crust and buns which cater to those with dairy- and eggfree dietary restrictions. Supporting local is Betsy’s philosophy, sourcing Manitoba-grown ingredients such as flax, potato starch and quinoa. The bakery also supplies to more than 20 local retailers, cafés and restaurants which would otherwise be unable to provide gluten-free alternatives. Betsy’s commitment to educate and provide Winnipeg with healthy options has earned Cocoabeans Bakeshop Ciao! magazine’s 2016 Good Food Manitoba Retailer of the Year award.—KC 12 ciao! / aug/sep / two thousand sixteen salt than commercial versions. Many burgers celebrate the f lavours Manitobans know and love—this is a place where one could order a bison patty topped with blueberry barbeque sauce. Nuburger has been committed to local sourcing since the beginning, bringing in beef, bison, pork and chicken from local farms, Peak of the Market vegetables, Bothwell cheese and Loveday mushrooms with which to top freshly baked Stella’s Bakery buns. Sourcing loca l ly has posit ive environmental impact, as ingredients travel shorter distances. Sustainability is taken seriously at the restaurant, which pays to compost, and offers only compostable and recyclable take out containers. Last year, these efforts garnered LEAF (Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice) certification—Nuburger was one of only five Manitoba restaurants to achieve the distinction, and the only business not under the umbrella of the University of Winnipeg’s Diversity Food Services brand. Nuburger, with their apropos heartshaped logo, is feeling the love from all sides. Foodies flock to the restaurant for its wild flavours and stay for the primal satisfaction of biting into a really good burger. It has been voted to victory in the popular Le Burger Week event in September for the past three years in a row, featured on the Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here! and has begun a feel-good fast food takeover of the city with a new second location on Kenaston. With the earnest inflection of someone who truly believes in what they do, Marc sums it up simply: “We’re just happy to be here, making good food for Winnipeg.” In an era of big culinary movements, perhaps the most inf luential shift is actually epitomized by the humble burger. This is what we eat when we’re in a rush, when we can’t decide where to go, when we want something simple yet satisfying—and while the burger continues to evolve with our eating habits, restaurants like Nuburger recognize its potential to help shape a greener, healthier, tastier world. Who knew? Hamburgers just might be the ultimate superfood.