Welcome to this week’s Market Report! The summer season is picking up steam, and the first signs of summer bounty are rolling in. Local heroes are showing off, import partners are stepping up, and the pace is quickening in the warehouse. From peak-season produce to avocados that have you pulling your hair out (trust us, us too!), there’s plenty to dig into.

Here’s what’s catching our eye this week: what’s new, what’s coming, what’s at its best—and where prices are headed. Let’s dive in…

📈 What’s Up? Weather issues, supply gaps, and import delays are pushing prices up for key items like white asparagus, Honeycrisp apples, peeled garlic, and navel oranges.

📉 What’s Down? Improved supply, local harvests, and new crops from Mexico and the southern U.S. are driving prices down across many key items this week. Details below!

🌟 New Arrivals: The summer season is ramping up, and we’re excited to share some fresh arrivals: local female zucchini flowers from Boots Farm, yellow watermelon, Ontario strawberries from Tigchelaar, French wild asparagus, and Chilean Périgord truffles (arriving Thursday).

☀️On the Horizon: Organic field greens from Cookstown Greens are expected to arrive next week—stay tuned! Local fresh peas are set to hit their stride by mid-June, with limited early supply possible next week.

🟥 Red Flags: Gaps in baby bunched beets and Macintosh apples, flight delays, and tight supplies on orchids and caulilini—details below.

🥑 Avocados — What’s the Deal?: We’re currently experiencing some challenges with our avocados due to the transition between growing regions in Mexico and Peru. We’re working closely with our growers to get things back on track. Thanks for bearing with us!

🍓 Produce Pick of the Week: Tigchelaar Berry Farms strawberries are here—and at their peak! Code 3339.

🧀 Local Pick of the Week: Gunn’s Hill Handeck cheese: local, delicious on everything. Samples available—just ask your rep!

Market Recap: What's Up, What's Down

🌟 New Arrivals🌟 

With summer ramping up, we’re seeing new arrivals of warm-weather favourites that are perfect for your seasonal menus and summer features:

• Female Zucchini Flowers | Code 3544 - These little cuties are a summer fav and come with a baby zucchini attached. Available all season long—just remember they’re delicate and weather-dependent (rainy days mean no harvest). A treat to showcase as a seasonal special!

• Yellow Watermelon | Code 11345 - Sunshine in a melon! This seedless beauty offers all the juicy sweetness of a classic watermelon but with a vibrant yellow flesh. Perfect for summer specials—available for the next couple of weeks.

• Wild Asparagus | Code 4763 - This rare gem has a unique, slightly bitter flavour compared to traditional asparagus. Its delicate stalks bring an earthy, woodsy note to dishes—perfect for salads, risottos, and light sautés. Due to its foraged nature, availability is extremely limited—snag it while you can!

• Chilean Périgord Truffles | Arriving Thursday - Périgords tend to have a richer, earthier flavour than summer truffles (which we also have available!), which are milder and more mushroom-forward. These beauties are coming in from Chile (where it’s winter now) and will be available in convenient 100g prepacks.

☀️On the Horizon☀️ 

We’ve also heard from Cookstown Greens that their field greens will be available next week, and there might be a small early supply of local peas from a few vendors as well. Keep an eye on our socials for the latest updates as soon as they’re listed!

🚩Red Flags🚩: Last Week's Supply & Quality Recap

Gap In Availability:

• Gold, Red & Striped Baby Beets | Codes 2167, 2175 & 2182 - We’re expecting a 2–3 week gap on beets from Babe Farms due to quality issues in the growing region.

• Macintosh Apples | Code 2002 - Supplies remain tight. Growers are taking longer than expected to grade apples, Ontario is done for the season, and we’re still sourcing from Quebec.

Last Week’s Shortages:

• Edible Orchids | Code 5349 — Delays due to flight and customs hold-ups.

• Caulilini | Code 7341 — Demand is exceeding supply, and availability will remain tight.

• Brie Albert’s Leap | Code 7740 — Production and packaging delays impacted supply, but we’re now back in stock.

🍓 Produce Pick of the Week 🍓 

Ontario Field Strawberries | Code 3339

Local strawberries from Tigchelaar are coming in hot—and they’re the real deal. Sweet, juicy, and vibrant-red, they’re perfect for everything from shortcakes to salsas (or just shoving straight in your mouth between prep). These beauties will be here through to October.

🧀Local Pick of the Week 🧀 

Gunn’s Hill’s Handeck Cheese | Code 10742

If you’ve been sleeping on Handeck, now’s the time to get on board. Aged to perfection, Handeck is a washed-rind cheese with a firm texture and a nutty, buttery flavour—think alpine-style, but Ontario-made. Perfect for cheeseboards, sandwiches, or just sneaking a bite from the fridge at midnight.

Want a taste before you commit to a half wheel? 170g samples are up for grabs—just reach out to your rep to snag one.