After moving to Canada, Bella Kim quickly found herself missing her families Korean home cooking, especially her grandmother's kimchi. A staple side dish in Korean households going back over two thousand years, kimchi is a traditional fermented vegetable dish, typically made with napa cabbage or radish, seasoned with chili, garlic, ginger, and other spices. "Kimchi is an important part of Korean culture, but for me, it also carries personal memories and family history," Bella explained. "To me, it is more than just food - it holds tradition, love, and connection." So when Bella decided to start making her family kimchi recipe, she figured that other people in her community might enjoy the dish as well, so she started Bella's Ferment Co. (previously known as Bella's Acacia Catering) in 2019. 

What originally started out as a YouTube channel called The Cool Cookie Show, featuring tutorials on baking and decorating cookies, turned into a physical business in around two and a half years under the hard work and dedication of owner Gabby Versnick. When Gabby transitioned into actually working in the kitchen, she didn't want to lose the social following she had built up over time. So with the help of a friend to pivot the naming of the business, The Cool Cookie Kitchen officially opened, and has been making delicious and beautiful cookies ever since. 

Lotus Thai began in 2006 when Pom Quangvan Montague, after previously running a small private catering business, opened her first Lotus Thai location on the corner of John and Talbot Streets in midtown St. Thomas. After a few years there, she moved to 295 Talbot Street, where the restaurant still thrives. They have become a community staple, celebrated by the community for nearly 20 years, and they contribute so much to the tapestry of authentic cultural food experiences in our community. ​

For many market goers, Abby Mae's Gluten Free Bakery is a weekly staple. From fresh baked goods like decadent brownies, breads, cookies, squares, cupcakes, and bars, to scones, waffles, granola, and much more (all gluten-free, but you wouldn't know it by the delicious taste). Each week, their stand at Horton is filled with fresh, made-from-scratch goods, but make sure you get to the market early to get a pick of the whole assortment; their products go quick - a further testament to their quality and taste. 

It's long been said that where cooking is an art, baking is a science. Requiring precise measurements, watchful eyes, and exact temperatures and times, good baking needs love, attention to detail, practice, care, and time; all things that Jessica, owner of Cheffy's Culinary Creations, finds joy in. Any given Saturday at Horton you can find Jessica happily chatting away with customers, surrounded by her impressive array of pies, breads, cake pops, cookies, and other baked delights.

​When you stumble upon Sippin’ Tea at a market, you might be drawn in by Paula’s warm smile and her neatly presented and carefully curated selection of teas.

Over 50 years ago, Mathew Rawson’s mother would make home-made meat pies in their kitchen, which he would then load into his little red wagon to sell door-to-door for 25 cents each. “They got so popular that people would be waiting on their porches for me and my wagon,” Mathew reminisced with a smile. “We would put them in wax paper sleeves, and they would still be steaming hot when I delivered them.” The meat pies popularity spread through word of mouth, and the Rawson’s clientele gradually expanded. Mathew continued to make the meat pies with his mother’s recipe; expanding their product line to include home-made pizzas, and officially opening Uncle Dad’s Meat Pies and Pizza Plus flagship store at The Market at Western Fair District over 20 years ago with his wife Sharon. ​