producer of the year : Farmery Estate Brewery
Brothers Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk launched Farmery Estate Brewery as a way of sharing locally grown barley with communities both near and far . Since 2011 , they have been brewing GMO-free premium lager sourced from the prairies , growing barley , wheat and hops . Though producing ingredients locally requires more man power , using homegrown grains is at the core of their values .
Barley grown from their farm at Arden Ridge outside of Neepawa is used in Farmery ’ s flagship beer and Farmery Flour Collection . This has earned Farmery Estate Brewery Ciao ! magazine ’ s 2015 Good Food Manitoba Producer of the Year award .
Now part of the breakfast table , the Farmery Flour Collection launched in May , made to educate customers on what can be created with the same barley used in Farmery beer . “ We wanted to create a product that most people ( beer drinkers or not ) can support , understand and make on their own ,” says Chris . The line includes Whole Grain Pancake Waffle mix and Harvest Beer Bread , which can be mixed with milk or with a Farmery beer for added complex , malty flavour .
Their journey started from the family farm to opening two restaurants including the city ’ s first gastropub . Moving west one province at a time , Farmery recently launched in Alberta after operating for three years in Manitoba and two in Saskatchewan . As the business grows , supporters from major cities and rural towns share their enjoyment through social media . “ We can ’ t expect everyone to always come to the farm to see what ’ s new , so today ’ s technology allows the world to have access to our farm ,” states Chris . — KC
inthekitchen
dietary need .
Today , three campus locations dish out hot meals and snacks , and Elements , a full service restaurant open to the public as well as students , adds table service to the school ’ s dining options . Diversity ’ s operations have expanded to catering events all over the city , from coffee-andmuffin corporate meetings to white-napkin affairs , managing Fort Whyte Alive ’ s Buffalo Stone Café , and launching a line of take-away , deli style eats , available at Vita Health locations and Crampton ’ s Market .
Kramer ’ s role has evolved into that of a mentor . Bright young chefs Aron Epp ( chef de cuisine at Elements ) and Kelly Cattani ( who has taken the mantle at Buffalo Stone Café ) are in the trenches executing the company ’ s vision daily , while Kramer manages menus and projects .
High-profile gigs like RAW : almond and annual fundraisers like Grazing in the Field and 100 Mile Dinner have provided the opportunity to propagate eating local ,
“ Our core values don ’ t change ... whether we ’ re serving fine dining or a cafeteria burger .”
winning hearts by filling stomachs . In 2014 , Diversity provided food for festivalgoers and backstage for performers at the Winnipeg Folk Festival . It went so well , Kramer signed a five year contract with the fest .
This sense of fun and community spirit is a by-product of the same force that provides the drive for sustainable food : love of the land . Though the company may have grown , the same philosophy informs each new venture . “ Our core values don ’ t change ,” Kramer notes , “ whether we ’ re serving fine dining or a cafeteria burger .”
Diversity has excelled in taking this idealistic , scratch-made cooking style and scaling it up . Chefs like Cattani , who won the prestigious Gold Medal Plates competition in 2013 , apply experience as well as creativity to the task . The respect for the craft that these taste-chasers share
10 ciao ! / aug / sep / two thousand fifteen