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All stories relating to Loblaws

A time capsule buried in the old Maple Leaf Gardens offers a glimpse into city life circa 1931

Last fall, a masonry company working on the new Loblaws flagship at Maple Leaf Gardens unearthed a gift for local historians (and Loblaws public relations managers): a time capsule. A small copper box had been placed behind the cornerstone on September 21, 1931, and yesterday, Loblaws and Ryerson University finally revealed what was inside. Among the dozen items is a miniature Red Ensign flag (Canada’s national flag at the time), three hockey rulebooks and four newspapers containing stories about Japan invading Manchuria and the financial crisis (i.e. the Great Depression). Yes, 80-odd years ago Torontonians were obsessed with hockey and worried about a global economic slowdown. Sound familiar? Find out what else was inside the capsule in our gallery after the jump »

The Dish

TV Diner

December 15, 2011 | 1:00 pm

8 Comments

Q&A with the home cook who won Recipe to Riches and took home $250,000

(Image: Food Network Canada)

Last night, as thousands of Canadians looked on from their living rooms, Recipe to Riches came full circle when Glo McNeill, winner of episode one’s sweet puddings and pies challenge, took home the $250,000 prize. The vivacious grandma from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, impressed the country with her Luscious Lemon Pudding Cakes, beating out John Grass and his Chicken Grenades in the final elimination round. The cakes weren’t the office favourite, but we have to respect such a simple recipe trouncing the competition. We caught up with her just after the taping to discuss her toughest rivals, web presence and what she plans to do with all that cash. Read our Q&A with the one and only G-Lo from Lunenberg, after the jump.

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The Dish

TV Diner

December 15, 2011 | 12:33 pm

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Recipe to Riches: and the winner is…

The finalists await their fate (Image: Food Network Canada)

The six remaining home cooks from across the country were all dressed in their Sunday best for the season finale of Recipe to Riches. The drama was suitably amped up, given the $250,000 at stake: gold envelopes containing the identities of the winners were kept on a pedestal under a glass lid, always in plain view (we attended the taping in person this week and got to see a few off-camera hijinks, like judges Laura Calder and Tony Chapman having a mock slap fight). Host Jesse Palmer called up two contestants at a time, Noah’s ark style, for a one-on-one elimination (notably, this structure was only possible with Smart Cookie creator Sonya Walos’s absence; she never came up). Before each matchup, a standard reality TV video recap of each contestant’s “Recipe to Riches journey” was played. Then, the usually cheerful Palmer turned suddenly grave before revealing which contestant would be going home.

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The Dish

TV Diner

December 9, 2011 | 4:32 pm

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Recipe to Riches: the final pitch

The Recipe to Riches finalists, along with judges Tony Chapman, Dana McCauley and Laura Calder

Today is the last day of voting for season one of the President’s Choice product development spectacular Recipe to Riches. The show’s producers flew the six finalists in from across Canada to meet each other for the first time before they film the final episode this weekend. We stopped in at the event, held in the cooking studio at the new Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens, to find out why they think they should take home the $250,000 grand prize. See their answers after the jump.

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The Dish

Rumours & Rumblings

December 8, 2011 | 2:58 pm

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Loblaws: worth switching Kensington Market around for?

After years at 297 College St., the monks of the Zen Buddhist Temple are decamping to quieter (and presumably more meditation-friendly) digs at St. Clair and Bathurst. As The Grid reports, their old building has wound up in the hands of Tribute Communities, which has plans of its own for the site. Assuming the city gives the thumbs-up, Tribute is hoping to construct a 15-storey condo tower with about 20,000 square feet of retail space at the base. Rumour has it that Loblaws is negotiating for the spot. The company remains tight-lipped, but a new location did open in another Tribute property at Queen and Portland just last week (like the new Maple Leaf Gardens location, it has a cheese wall). Local businesses, which would find it difficult to compete with the grocery giant’s prices, selection and hours, are predictably anxious. “I don’t want to see a Loblaws there,” Yvonne Bambrick, coordinator of the Kensington Market BIA, told The Grid. “I think that is extremely bad news for the neighbourhood. I don’t even want to see it being discussed.” It could be argued that independent grocers don’t deserve special protection in a free market, but really—unless it’s going to have four cheese walls and a cheese ceiling, the city probably doesn’t need another Loblaws downtown. Read the entire story [The Grid] »

The Dish

Read All About It

December 2, 2011 | 4:58 pm

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Reaction Roundup: what Toronto is saying about its new, hockey-themed grocery paradise (i.e., Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens)

(Maple Leaf Gardens image: Kevin Naulls)

In the seven years since news broke that the Maple Leaf Gardens would be turning into a grocery store, it’s become something of a bad joke, a symbol of modernity callously stomping on the past. But after Wednesday’s grand opening of the Loblaws flagship store, Torontonians have suddenly opened up to the idea with surprising vigour. And there’s a lot to love, what with walls of cheese, cupcakes, tea and aging meat, as well as plenty of relics from the days of yore, like a giant leaf sculpture made out of the stadium’s original plastic chairs and a red dot in aisle 25 marking the former location of centre ice. Here’s some of what other Torontonians had to say:

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The Dish

Opening

November 30, 2011 | 4:49 pm

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Introducing: Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens, downtown’s enormous new food emporium

(Images: Kevin Naulls)

When a heritage building like Maple Leaf Gardens is renovated, there’s always a concern that whatever goes inside will gut the building’s soul, with, at best, a commemorative plaque to mark what used to be. Thankfully, Galen Weston and his Loblaws crew chose to retain the charm of the iconic arena, except that instead of stadium seating and the aroma of beer nuts, the impressively large space is now home to fresh bread (from Ace Bakery), a café (with the original Gardens gold seats), a wide selection of organic produce (fans of Portlandia will be pleased to know that images of the farmers responsible abound), a sushi bar, an LCBO, a walk-in clinic, a Joe Fresh, a wall of cheese (seriously, a whole wall), a wall of cupcakes (seriously, a whole wall) and a wall of aging meat (yes, a whole wall). That’s just the tip of the chocolate-by-the-chunk iceberg (of which there is one—it weighs 250 pounds and required a mechanical lift to drop into place). Tour the brand new grocery mega-store in a gallery after the jump.

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The Informer

Quibbling Rivalries

October 20, 2011 | 12:06 pm

1 Comment

Maple Leaf Gardens set to be named something less historic, more corporate (surprising all of nobody)

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ parent company has succeeded in its effort to prevent Ryerson University from using the name “Maple Leaf Gardens” when the school’s team takes to the ice at the fabled building next year. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment threatened the university and Loblaw (which plans to open a grocery store on the main floor) after they used the Leafs’ name in promotional material. But Ryerson president Sheldon Levy said the school actually never planned to use the name in the first place and will name their portion of the building after a sponsor—with the word “Gardens” included. According to the Globe and Mail, MLSE is also concerned that Ryerson’s 2,500-seat venue could compete with the action at the Air Canada Centre—because why go see the Leafs in a massive arena when you can watch the Ryerson team play in a small venue? Um, sure. The worst part of this might be that a Loblaw spokesperson said the grocery store could still use the Leafs brand. Conn Smythe would have wanted it that way. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

The Dish

TV Diner

October 20, 2011 | 11:58 am

30 Comments

Recipe to Riches reviewed: Episode 1, Luscious Lemon Pudding Cakes

Last night was the premiere of Recipe to Riches, the much-hyped new Food Network Canada show where each week, a trio of home cooks compete in one of eight different categories to determine whose recipe would make the best President’s Choice product. (No, really.) The show was one pinch of So You Think You Can Dance’s nationwide talent search, a dollop Top Chef’s cook offs and product placement and a heap of Dragon’s Den’s Marketing 101, all whirred in a blender. To be honest, it can sometimes make for a strange mix—the Top Chef–style solemnity that greets each elimination seems a little out place when the contestants change every episode. Each winning product will show up on Loblaws shelves the weekend after the episode airs, and at the end, viewers will vote to crown the winner of a $250,000 grand prize. Every week, we’ll be bringing an advance sample of the winning dish into our office to see whether it’s worth the trip to the grocery store. After the jump, our thoughts on the winner of the Sweet Puddings and Pies challenge.

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The Hype

To-Do List

October 19, 2011 | 2:37 pm

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The Weekender: International Festival of Authors, Operanation and six more items on our to do list

1. LG FASHION WEEK
Some of the city’s more fashionable citizens have been accumulating this year behind Roy Thomson Hall to check out what’ll be big next spring from the likes of Pink Tartan, Bustle, Cynthia Rowley and the eminently wearable Joe Fresh. The most high-style week of the year (or one of two, at least) wraps up on Friday with shows by David Dixon and Denis Gagnon. To October 21. Various prices. David Pecaut Square (formerly Metro Square), King St. W. between John and Simcoe streets, lgfashionweek.ca.

2. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS
Once again it’s storytime for grownups (and very precocious children) at Harbourfront. Big-name writers like Michael Ondaatje, Miriam Toews, Johanna Skibsrud and Douglas Coupland will be taking part in panels, book signings and, most importantly, readings at this 12-day literary fest. To October 30. $10-$35. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., 416-973-4000, readings.org.

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The Goods

New in Shops

September 29, 2011 | 4:14 pm

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Joe Fresh will open at Queen and Portland on October 13, and this time, we can get almost everything from the runway

Joe Fresh (Image: Kevin Naulls)

Joe Fresh, the Loblaw-owned fashion retailer known for its reasonable prices and wear-them-until-they’re-destroyed basics, is opening a new location on Queen West at Portland. The new store has 8,200 square feet of retail space and will open its doors on October 13—it will be the only Joe Fresh store in Toronto offering almost all of the Joe Fresh runway and ready-to-wear pieces. Considering Joe Fresh’s success at LG Fashion Week this past March, we’re intrigued by the promise of runway fashion—perhaps we’ll see these metallic, fur, floral and electric coloured minis or this orange neoprene coat in the mix. Whatever the case, the store will have something for everyone, since it will be offering men’s apparel, activewear, sleepwear, cosmetics, jewellery and sunglasses, in addition to the usual women’s apparel Joe Fresh is best known for (basic tees come to mind). Creative director Joe Mimran seems to feel that this new Queen Street West location is a no-brainer: “Over my career I’ve had experience opening two important retail stores on Queen Street and have been thrilled to be a part of the area’s evolution into a lively and unique shopping destination. We’re excited to bring the Joe Fresh brand to the vibrant art and cultural scene of Queen Street.” Perhaps our favourite part of store openings is opening day discounts: the new Queen and Portland Joe Fresh location is offering 20 per cent off purchases on opening day, which means we’ll be buying approximately 10 t-shirts in various colours, and maybe each of those skirts mentioned above.

The Dish

Foodie Follies

September 13, 2011 | 3:58 pm

3 Comments

President’s Choice gets in on the bacon-everything trend with the new, upscale Black Label line

(Image: Michelle Easton)

Loblaws is set to launch a line of gourmet products meant to compete with the likes of Pusateri’s or Mark McEwan’s grocery store McEwan, the auspiciously named President’s Choice Black Label. Indeed, they’re working with Toronto chefs like Marc Thuet and Anthony Walsh and macaron pushers Bobbette and Belle to introduce a tasting menu based on the products to 40 or 50 food writers and “influencers” at Parkdale’s Neubacher Shor Contemporary gallery on September 22. We got a sample at this week’s TIFF Tastemakers gifting lounge at the Intercontinental, where celebs were offered ginger-spiced chocolate, hickory-smoked olive oil, sweet chipotle dip and bacon marmalade.

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The Informer

Quibbling Rivalries

July 29, 2011 | 11:30 am

1 Comment

Greedy MLSE is seeking a court injunction against the use of the classic Maple Leaf Gardens name

Inside the revamped Maple Leaf Gardens (Image: Rick Harris)

In their efforts to transform Maple Leaf Gardens into a functioning multi-use facility, it seems the folks at Loblaw Properties and Ryerson University have awoken a sleeping giant: Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. When MLSE sold Maple Leaf Gardens to Loblaws for $12 million in 2004, one of the conditions of the sale was that the House that Conn Smythe Built would be converted exclusively into a grocery store and retail space. But now that Ryerson has committed upwards of $60 million to turn the upper levels of the Gardens into a bona fide athletic facility, MLSE is seeking a court injunction against Ryerson and Loblaws, claiming that they have violated the terms of the original agreement and should be forbidden from using the name “Maple Leaf Gardens”—an MLSE-owned trademark.

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The Dish

TV Diner

June 21, 2011 | 12:49 pm

14 Comments

Top Chef Canada recap, episode 11: street meet

Rob Feenie with host Thea Andrews (Image: Food Network Canada/Insight Productions)

TOP CHEF CANADA
Season 1 | Episode 11

From the opening moments of last night’s Top Chef Canada, we learned the following: Dale MacKay, the supremely arrogant self-confident Vancouver chef, actually has a soft side (he was missing his young son); Montreal-by-way-of Vancouver chef François Gagnon sleeps without his shirt on; Mercatto executive chef Rob Rossi likes to sleep in; and Connie DeSousa is feeling the pressure to win the competition for all the female chefs out there (about Grace’s Dustin Gallagher, we learned nothing). None of these micro-developments gave away who the winner and loser might be. After the jump, the twists and turns that brought us down to the final four.

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