Fresh News

Fresh News September 2008

Fresh Local and Organic  
For years, much of what we use in our kitchens and on the juice bar has been locally produced and organic. We shied away from boasting about it since we could never claim to be 100% organic.
Here are some of the areas that we can now confidently say are organic, fresh and often locally made:

wine & beer
Our delicious award-winning wines are organic and biodynamic from Italy, California and France. We also carry Flat Rock, locally produced in Niagara Falls using environmentally sensitive methods.
The thirst-quenching award-winning beers we offer are natural and microbrewed in Ontario. Mill Street Brewery, Amsterdam and Steam Whistle are our current favourites.

coffee
Toronto’s own Dark City Roastery provides us with our dark roast Zen organic espresso beans. Our orders are freshly roasted the same day they deliver to us.
The hugely popular cult-classic Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso is a medium smoky roast that is freshly roasted and shipped to us same day from Chicago.

milk
At Fresh you get your choice of cow, rice or soymilk for your smoothies, shakes and coffees. Organic Meadow cow’s milk is freshly produced locally in Ontario. Our So Nice soymilk and Rice Dream rice milk are also organic.

sweeteners
Our extremely delicious Grade C dark maple syrup is brought to us by the popular Canadian-owned Black River Juice Company. Our organic maple syrup is made in Ontario.
This year we switched from honey to organic Agave Nectar for sweetening anything that might need sweetening in our recipes and on the juice bar. We can now claim to be 100% vegan. Agave nectar has a low glycemic index and is a very healthy way to get your sugar fix.

yogurt
Locally produced Organic Meadow makes our organic fat-free yogurt. Or, if you prefer to go dairy-free, you can opt for our So Nice organic soy yogurt.

tofu & tempeh
Our organic tofu is produced locally by SoyCity Foods. They have been making tofu for over 20 years. Our tasty organic tempeh is produced by Noble Bean, which hails from California.

whole wheat pita
Toronto’s Pita Break makes our luscious organic whole wheat pitas. We switched from the flax pita this year when we found out they had started using honey to sweeten. We like to ensure that all of our products are strictly vegan.

desserts
Our desserts are handmade locally by Sweets from the Earth. The majority of ingredients in their unbelievable vegan cakes, cookies, pies and bars are not only organic but also wheat free. No refined sugar is used and now they are kosher too!

How green are we?
As a busy restaurant and juice bar we’re always searching for new ways to reduce our impact on the earth and its resources. This past year has been incredibly exciting for us since we’ve discovered so many more excellent eco-friendly alternatives to the conventional products that we rely on to serve you.
Here are the areas in which we can proudly say we make a difference in the best possible way:

Reduce Reuse Recycle
We strongly encourage the use of reusable bags, containers and glass bottles. As a further incentive, we offer a 15% discount to customers who bring in their own containers, bottles or bags for takeout.
Our cooking oil is now picked up by GreenDiesel and recycled for biodiesel uses such as alternative fuel for your vehicle.

*Spoiled produce and other biodegradable waste is composted.
*We maintain receptacles for glass, plastic and cardboard for our kitchens and bars.
*We use recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer waste wherever possible.
*We use biodegradable environmentally safe cleaners, scrubs and soaps for keeping the Fresh restaurants sparkling clean.

Biodegradable Takeout Containers
Our takeout shopping bags, containers and cups are now biodegradable and compostable. Our non-petroleum based containers look, feel and act like traditional plastic but break down into organic components.
The starch-based packaging we use is made from agricultural commodities such as corn and potatoes. These dissolve in 15 to 90 days when in prolonged contact with water and heat.
Many of our containers and cleaning products are supplied by locally owned Greenshift. Greenshift has been at the forefront of sourcing the right biodegradable options for restaurants and businesses in Canada.
 
Baggu Bags     $9 each

We are now selling Baggu bags, our own reusable shopping bags for takeout customers. These versatile bags were designed in New York by a mother and daughter who were tired of using cloth bags that didn’t look great (especially in fashionable Manhattan) and were never with them when they needed them at the store. Baggus are made from super strong rip-stop nylon, are machine washable and hold up to 25 lbs. of groceries (the equivalent of 3 bags full) . They come in great colors and fold up neatly into a small pouch so you can always have one handy in your purse.. Save a plastic bag and use your own baggu bag for takeout and get a 15% discount on your food order.
Buy a $60 gift card and get a free baggu bag.

Vintage Glass Juice Bottles        $3 each

To reduce our use of plastic we have introduced reusable recyclable glass 32oz. bottles for takeout juices. These cool vintage bottles are supplied by the original makers of those same fresh milk bottles that used to be delivered to your doorstep. They make great water bottles too! Bring one in for a refill and get a 15% discount. Another added bonus: 32 oz. juices are non-taxable.

FRESH FEEDBACK

Please let us know what we are doing right and suggest areas of improvement.

From all your comments one person will win a $100 Fresh gift card.