Just recently bought 2 tenderloin steaks...almost $40.. They…read morewere the worst tenderloins I have ever purchased... Tough, full of sinew...will never buy meat there again.

Outstanding selection and service. Pleasantly surprised by staff who went out of their way to…read moresource an item for me. Thank you!

Solid grocery store for a sleepy island town like Nanaimo…read more Has all the staples of a North American grocery store. But what takes the crown is it also stocks many of the hotsauces from Hot Ones wings challenge! So of course I had to grab a bottle of DaBomb Beyond Insanity!! Great layover all in all.

All Country Grocer stores do not price match. WHY? All the other Nanaimo grocery stores do price…read morematch.

I have been shopping here for about five years, and I love it and could not go anywhere else! When…read moreI had a very serious injury when I broke my foot in two places, the staff were so helpful with helping with groceries into the car, and have always been super friendly. Some of those young students staff were especially so kind to me when I was so badly injured. They have a good selection and I especially love the convenience of their fabulous organic and health section that beats all the other stores. I love it when they bring in the fresh dandelion leaves and so did my naturopath who cured a patient of a serious health issue when I told their office that the leaves were available at Country Grocer! I actually love this store due to its organized aisles and cleanliness, too. (We won't be mentioning the problems at other stores...) Listen - they even sell organic soil and pretty flowers!!! Love it! Would never go anywhere else. xo

It's easy to see the positive reviews are all fake . Usually posted with the managements blessings…read more I refuse to Shop , customer service sucks . There Not very helpful and treated me like I was an inconvenience. Buffet style I've heard , has made people violently ill . No big surprise there . In fact I wish I could give it a negative star . As one example for instance. I popped by , while running some errands. Went Grab a few editions of coffee news . And this employee ( complete DB) Preventing me from taking and brochures. I don't recall a sign saying I'm limited to - per customer. Shop Anywhere else.

I'm new to the area and was excited to find a local butcher, especially after receiving a gift…read morecertificate for Christmas. Based on recommendations, we decided to try Bouma Meats and purchased one large T-bone steak. The staff member suggested a "nice aged one," which sounded great. Once home, I salted the steak and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. I did notice an off smell, but assumed it was simply the aroma of aged beef. Unfortunately, once cooked and served, the filet side was clearly rancid, and the strip side wasn't much better. We stopped eating immediately out of concern for getting sick. It was very disappointing to throw away a $30 steak and worry about food safety. I've heard many good things about this shop, which makes this experience especially unfortunate, but between the cost and the concern for our health, I won't be returning.

Excellent products! They offer fresh, well priced, local meats and lots of delicious pork and fish…read moreoptions. As well, they sell other items such as traditional meat pies, sausage rolls, and even pirogies. Truly a Canadian experience. Two thumbs up.

This tidy market serves the island community and tourists pretty well…read more Well stocked, you can find almost anything here you'd find over the water, and they have plenty of fresh items. Last time I was in, what I picked up wasn't any more pricey than at the Thrifty's in Port Place Mall, especially when you take the ferry fares into consideration.

From the owner: Village Food Market is a family-owned, full-service grocery store located on beautiful Gabriola…read moreIsland. We carry a complete line of grocery products including fresh meat and produce, in-house baked goods, dairy and dairy substitutes, a full-service delicatessen, purified water, flowers, lottery and more! We source local products whenever possible and have a strong focus on organic and natural foods. Come to us for variety, friendly service and a chance to connect to Gabriola's wonderful community. We look forward to serving you!

This place is absolutely a tourist trap, and that's okay, because if you are here, and you know…read morethat it is, and yes, there are Goats on the Roof, then you are going to love this place. Firstly, if you come here "late" like after 10am, then it might be a messy bit to find parking, but there is both parking behind and down along the drive into the property, or across the street also. Once you park, I recommend just heading to the Old Country Market itself, find a space a few meters back, and look on the roof, The roof has a rotating set of goats, which live up top. They are the attraction, and that is it. You got a place with Goats... on... the... roof. Once you have accomplished that, time to head inside and check out the offerings. First, if you are just rushing through, it's just going to feel like some random grocery market. Yes, lots of things are mass market, but when you SLOW down, and look around, you may start to find some lesser known, and okay, still Made in China, but local flair nevertheless. I recommend heading to the meat counter (assuming you like meat) and getting some Jerky, or other items.. because those are made locally. Then as you meander through the trinkets, you are going to find a mix between local and imported things. As you wonder back toward the baked products, you are going to see piles of loves of bread. I didn't try them, so can't recommend, however head past that, and you will find delicious case of based goods, including their house made Sausage Rolls, which are darn tasty. Go with their original one, then branch out. Again, meat lovers here. As you slowly, go around the store, being bumped by everyone around you, because there are too many people here, in this little shop, take in the fact that ABOVE YOUR HEAD, on the roof, are up there. So look, it's a trap, to be sure, and don't doubt it's going to be a mass of people, but honestly, you came here because it was a tourist trap, so go early, and take your time. Also, highly recommend the used book store nearby, once you free yourself of the money you are going to spend here in the market.

We arrived a couple of minutes just before the goats woke up (9am)…read more The market offered so many different products from their bakery to souvenirs to home decor. I enjoyed my time looking at everything. I will say their bakery was disappointing as a lot of products looked over baked. Some of their products in their display case looked interesting, but were really pricey. 4.5 stars

Why because you have to! Immediately stepping out of your car into the parking lot you can smell…read morethe smokey aroma in the air. They don't even have to be smoking the meat and the aroma pours out of the shop for you to enjoy. There are so many delicious smoked meats to try ranging from bison, turkey, pork, etc. The South African smoked sausage is a favorite as is the thick cut triple smoked bacon. Oh my to die for! I have been here several times and during the holidays it was jam packed so if you are going during that time pre-order. The hams that people were walking away with were amazing and certainly on my list to try. If you go and they have jars of spicy pickled green beans buy them all! When I move to BC and I start my business on the island I hope to partner with the Nanaimo Sausage House to carry some of their products in my shop or at the very least incorporate them into my menu. The island population needs to know who these people are!

Sure their meats are good but purchased some prepared meat pies and were very disappointed. The…read morepastry was tough and like cement; stuck to the bottom of the foil pan, The meat was tasty but very very stringhy and tough. Second pie going into the garbage.

Awesome butcher shop! They have goodies like rendered duck, chicken, beef and lamb fats, bone…read morebroth, lamb kidney, they were out of liver and heart but said they carried it. Plenty of frozen off season like duck meat. House cured sausages, pepperonis of several spicy levels, and bacon. The price sticker indicates the cut, price, farm where the meat originated/distance from the shop, and the animal's diet. The guy who helped me was super nice and patient with my browsing. He answered my questions and grabbed the pieces I asked for instead of the biggest ones. I've cooked up half of what I bought and the meat is excellent. The shop is spacious and comfortable and has pantry items, freezer and dairy on the perimeter walls so if you need to wait it's not unpleasant to do so.