Cornwall Ontario (ChooseCornwall.ca) – Health conscious people in the Cornwall region have a new source for organic grocery and wholesome prepared food items.

After much anticipation the Mindful Cookery & Food Market has opened its doors to the public at 110 Pitt Street in Downtown Cornwall. Owners Rachel Roy and Joey Gault have been very pleased with the reception so far.

“We want to improve people’s relationship with the food that they eat through better accessibility to organic and wholesome food options and the reception so far has been fantastic,” says Rachel. “We’ve had to restock several times already and the take up on our prepared food has also been steady.”

Mindful Cookery offers eat-in or takeaway meal choices as well as a range of coffees, teas, espressos, lattes and smoothies. Joining Rachel and Joey in the 1200 sq.ft. store are Chef Matt McColl and Jennifer Desnoyers.

Mindful Cookery has a clear focus on local food, as well as meeting the needs of grocery customers who subscribe to a specialty diet such as Paleo, Low-glycemic, Vegan, Gluten-Free.

“We have worked hard to find legitimate suppliers as close to home as possible,” says Rachel. “Smart Greens, Cornerstone Organics, Wild Rose Organic Farm and Langview Farm are a few of the suppliers that we’re able to work with from the immediate area. We’ll be working with many more come springtime.”

In Canada, the “specialty foods” market segment is showing consistent growth and grocery trends are moving towards cleaner, more wholesome options. Customers are more interested in knowing what is in their foods and where it comes from.

“We want to give people an alternative to highly processed foods that have so many preservatives that it is sometimes difficult to find the food amongst the chemicals,” says Rachel. “More and more people are embracing healthier lifestyles and are moving back to basics by preparing foods the way our grandparents used to do it.”

The Mindful Cookery and Food Market joins a number of new restaurants and retailers that have set up shop in Downtown Cornwall recently.  Rachel and Joey were able to tap into the Heart of the City Community Improvement Program to help them renovate their new premises.

“Cornwall is our home and this is the community we want to connect with,” says Rachel. “Downtown has a growing vibe that we want to be a part of. It’s finally becoming the downtown core that many people envision.”

Mindful Cookery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm.