In the neighbourhood – all walkable

Thrifty Foods is located less than a block away from The 201. It’s a full-service grocery store where you can find pretty much anything you’ll need to make tasty meals. Open daily, typically from 7:00 am – 10 pm.

Shopper’s Drug Mart is located right across the street. They have all the basic pharmacy and drugstore staples, along with pantry and food items, including dairy products (which are often less than at Thrifty Foods). Open daily from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm.

Fraser Orr’s Butcher & Deli
A classic butcher shop right at the corner of Wallace and Mountain Newton Cross Road. They also have lunch specials daily; the menu is posted weekly on their website. Open Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm except Saturday when it closes at 4:00 pm.

Prairie Inn Liquor Store
Less than a block away on Mount Newton Cross Road, this is your libations easy stop and shop. Open daily 9:00 am – 11:00 pm.

Further afield – car needed

Save-On Foods is the largest grocery store in the area with a BC wine section and Starbucks in the store as well. It’s located on Beacon Avenue, the main drag in Sidney and is open daily 7:00 am – 10:00 pm.

Carnivore Meats & More is our favourite butcher in the area. You’ll find it in the strip mall located at the corner of Wallace and West Saanich Road in Brentwood Bay, just a few minutes south of Saanichton. Open daily from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Metro Liquor is a great little liquor store on the main drag in Brentwood Bay. Open daily from 9:00 am – 10:00 pm.

Roost Farm Winery and Bakery has a wonderful selection of baked goods along with a café and wine store. In our estimation, they’ve got the best Nanaimo bars on the island! Located at West Saanich Road and McTavish Open 7:00 am – 5:00 pm daily.

Michell’s Farm Market is a great market with seasonal fruit and vegetables and assorted other local goods. If you’re visiting in the fall, their pumpkin patch is a sight to behold! Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Closed on Mondays.

The Fickle Fig Farm Market has some of the best French influenced baked goods in the area (think croissants, baguettes …) along with a wide variety of savoury treats. They’re in a storefront on Beacon Avenue in Sidney, as well as a café stand in the airport just before security. The Sidney location is open 8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily.

Sidney Bakery is a classic bakery with doughnuts that have locals and visitors alike lining down Beacon Avenue to get their sugar fix for the day. Arrive early if the sweet treats are what you’re looking for. Open 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Seasonal Markets
This corner of the world is gifted with a wide variety of seasonal food and wares. Here is a list of current farmers’ markets.