Each issue columnist Grace Wang scours our markets and food halls for some great local eats. Get to know Black Sheep Pâtisserie, who have recently opened a second location in Calgary Farmers’ Market West and everyone’s favourite, Going Nuts.
Photo Credit: Going Nuts
Going Nuts
Hopefully the holiday season didn’t leave you going nuts — but if it did, a visit to Going Nuts at Calgary Farmers’ Market will have you smiling again. Entrepreneurs Brenda Jenkyns and Chris Schlemm have been at the helm of Going Nuts since 2004, when the first Calgary Farmers’ Market opened. Both wanted to be a part of the market and, after some brainstorming, they decided to focus on nuts and nut products.
Going Nuts stocks a dizzying array of flavoured roasted nuts, which Brenda says “are the backbone of the business.” The salted caramel almonds, a customer favourite, are made in small batches weekly and coated with rich caramel sauce in traditional copper kettles. Also not to be missed are the hearty granolas, which are perfectly crunchy, sweet and packed with nuts, dried fruits and seeds. The Mango Ginger granola is a unique tropical treat, with generous pieces of dried mango, coconut and candied ginger. The granola is mixed with sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and goes well with yogurt, but from personal experience, it’s just as good straight from the bag.
Going Nuts is a family operation, and Brenda and Chris’ son Jeremy Jenkyns and nephew Brian Miller run the kitchen. Brenda says they all “love the atmosphere of the farmers’ markets.” The team is experimenting with some new flavours of nut brittle. Sounds like some exciting new snacks are on the horizon!
Going Nuts | Calgary Farmers’ Market (both locations) and The Mercantile at Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens 25 Greenbriar Dr. N.W., 510 77th Ave. S.E., and
12445 Lake Fraser Dr. S.E. | 403.818.7520 | goingnuts.ca
Photo Credit: Black Sheep Pâtisserie
Black Sheep Pâtisserie
If you haven’t visited Black Sheep Pâtisserie before, you’re missing out on Calgary’s best croissants. Fortunately, owner Benjamin Griffon has opened a second location inside Calgary Farmers’ Market West. A horticulture engineer by training, Benjamin opened Black Sheep Pâtisserie in 2019 and has been turning out awe-inspiring pastries with his baker Jason Ng and pastry chef Redouane Dab since.
Black Sheep’s market stall features a rotating slew of jam-filled croissants, almond croissants and of course, pain au chocolat. Benjamin specialized in fruit trees during his horticulture career and, unsurprisingly, house-made jams and marmalades feature prominently in their specialty filled croissants. Finding inspiration in an Italian summer day, he created a five-citrus marmalade last Christmas. Every croissant from Black Sheep Pâtisserie is full of perfect layers, baked so the outside is exceptionally flaky, and the inside is soft, airy and full of rich butter flavour. The stall also sells traditional baguettes and cookies (try the Scottish shortbread!), and you can pre-order items like tiramisu and Paris-Brest to the market location.
It’s clear that Benjamin has a passion for pastry, a love of experimenting with new flavours and a sense of humour. He clearly loves each of his creations and refuses to pick his top choice.
“Never ask a mother which of her kids is her favourite,” he says. “She obviously has one, but don’t ask.” Looks like we’ll just have to try all the offerings at Black Sheep Pâtisserie.
Black Sheep Pâtisserie | Calgary Farmers’ Market West and 17th Ave. 25 Greenbriar Dr. N.W. and #140, 815 17th Ave. S.W. | 587.210.5063 | black-sheep.ca
Leave A Comment