Lucky people who live near Cumberland, on Vancouver Island. I found myself in Cumberland, on a…read moreSunday, most stores closed, but this gem of a food store, more like an emporium, with a "natural" ethic, was open...if I lived in this area, I'd be a regular. About a 15 minute drive from Courtenay, and close to Royston, on the Old Island Highway. Cumberland has a very interesting history, was once a bustling coal town at turn of last century, & is in a most beautiful part of Vancouver Island...wilderness at your doorstep. Looking to drop back in time? Visit Cumberland...while there, pop into Seeds.

Love this place. It showcases local products from the area. My favorite thing to purchase:…read more Hornby Island energy balls. Just a lovely little shop with friendly, helpful staff.

Four star comfort food made with love by Dawn . . . …read more What a find! Just what cottages and campers at Saratoga Beach need: a variety of Home Made frozen entrees and soups, fresh and frozen Home Made breads, cookies and loaves, jams, pickles and other preserves. Plus a selection of fruits and vegetables Home Grown in the pretty garden at the back of the house. Phone ahead or drop by. Look for the large 'Produce' banner. We've enjoyed: Single serve tourtière ($6.50), a generous enough meat and onion pie. The pastry is light and flakey and browns nicely. Home Made mustard pickles made a great sweet and sour side complement. The pint of mixed pickles ($6.50) were so addictive, they only lasted a couple days, and I have since stocked up on three more pints. The take-and-bake cabbage rolls ($15.00) serves two very well. The meat and rice filling is savoury along with the tasty tomato sauce. Reminds me of how Mom used to make them. The scones were moist and chewy and generously dotted with blueberries. I wished we were around for when all the fruit pies are baked earlier this month. I bet they are the best. This is better value, better quality than going to a restaurant. You can add to the soups or entrees to make a great meal or lunch at the cottage, RV, home or eat it at the beach. Dawn does all the work for you and you can tell she does it with love (cabbage roll ingredients listing includes "love").

Union Bay Market is terrific. It is run by a family that keeps it well provisioned for the local…read morefolk that live out in the Union Bay Area. It is the perfect little store for a "grab and go" of practically any grocery item. We ran in on a Sunday late afternoon for some coffee creamer, butter and epic Canadian snacks. The star of the show is their cream cheese frosted carrot cake and other baked goods (we were lucky that they still had two pieces left late in the afternoon - they often sell out). The cinnamon rolls looked delish - as did all their baked goods. It is super easy to get in and out. Quite a gem!

I was looking to get some cold beer while in Union Bay and Yelp told me I had to go all the way…read moreinto Courtenay to get some. I was about to turn onto the Island highway when I saw the sign at First Street and McLeod. Saved me a 30 km round trip. Very friendly staff with a good selection of wine, spirits and beer as well as a pretty good grocery store. Save yourself the trip and stop in.

Amazing! Their donuts are top tier and probably among the…read morebest I have ever had - fresh and delicious. lots of interesting flavours - but even their honey dip are next level. their cinnamon buns are also epic. I do not live near Courtney but have considered flying in just to get some of the donuts and cinnamon buns. Anyone who goes to the area I highly recommend stopping in. The only possible negative aspect is the limited hours of operation and that there is always a line up. But the line up is cause they are so good that hordes of people go and not cause of slow service. They also have great beverage selection both hot and cold. Their London Fog is in my top 5 and I consider myself a London Fog addict. I am glad I do not live near by cause I would end up being like 400lbs if I had easy access to it. So good. I would give 10 out of 5 stars if I could.

Was a 3star but added a star for the cool style of the place, the quality coffee and the windows to…read morewatch them make donuts. Good donuts. Not excellent or near the hype. They are prolly better and definitely more interesting than Tim Hortons. I see a bigger jump in the local ice cream shops than with Bigfoot and other donuts. The dough needs to hit this light and fluffy sweet spot for me. Maybe I was spoiled on other spectacular specialty donut shops so I'm a harder sell. Good quick service and long lines everyone else thinks they are the bomb so you should def try it out. And I'll retry them again and update this review depending on how it goes.

My go to coffee shop in downtown. The staff are lovely and accommodating, and the vibe is welcoming…read moreto hang out and have a conversation or get some work done. Nice selection of reasonably priced breakfast all day and lunch specials. Good espresso made with care.

Best chocolate in Cumberland. Of course, they're the only chocolatier in Cumberland, but who would…read morewant to try to compete? Do yourself a favour, stop in, get a hot chocolate, pick up some ladybugs, have a seat outside and enjoy. You won't regret it!

During our week long vacation in Cumberland, we enjoyed multiple mornings of mochas made with their…read morerich chocolate sauce. FYI, no charge for alternative milk, but whipped cream is $0.75. The salted caramel chocolate dipped pretzel sticks were a bit spendy, and the caramel was a bit crystalline, so I'd pass on those next time. All the chocolate truffles we tried were good but our favorite was the bourbon caramel. We grabbed an ice cream sandwich, but accidentally selected a gluten-free one. Too bad because I'm not a fan of most gluten-free cookies. Service was good. We never felt rushed, even when we were sitting on the patio while they were closing for the day.

Their meat is top quality. Great service and friendly and knowledgeable staff. A pleasure to shop…read morethere.

Chicken Honey crispy sandwich , Let try ! Recommended . Clean ambiance , friendly staff .read more

This awesome chocolate shop is an excellent place to go to support business. The shop is a family…read moreowned space and the chocolates are amazing!! Smooth chocolate with a wide variety of flavors to choose from. They have unique shapes and cute wrapping options around the holidays. The family that works and owns the shop are so friendly!! There is a lot of parking, it is handicap accessible, the prices are very reasonable. The shop does not have seating it is for popping in and getting your chocolate fix! The chocolates are tasty enough for children to enjoy them, and sophisticated enough for a good gift for your boss. This would be a great gift for date night or a token to let your sweetie you are thinking of them. I am already looking forward to going back and trying new flavors!!