Market Report is a Savour Calgary feature telling the stories behind the great local offerings at area farmers’ markets and food halls. In this edition we learn more about Snackingtons and Reem’s Kitchen.

Snackingtons, Millarville

Cathy Philipow and her family make some of the most memorable pretzels on the market. Her Snackingtons original seasoned pretzels are topped with layers of local butter and a secret homemade spice blend and roasted in small batches right here in Calgary.

snackingtongs

Cathy’s dedication to pretzels goes back more than 20 years, when she started experimenting with making flavored pretzels after a neighbor gifted her a batch. In 2019, while volunteering at the South Health Campus hospital, she gave out bags of her seasoned pretzels to other volunteers, who were quickly hooked and encouraged her to start a business. The time finally seemed right, and Cathy started Snackingtons shortly thereafter.

Snackingtons offers original seasoned pretzels, a salty treat with buttery flavour and a tangy note, as well as perfectly sweet-and-salty caramel dark chocolate pretzels. Each batch of the latter is drenched in homemade, from-scratch caramel and finished with a drizzle of dark chocolate. Due to popular demand, Cathy also spent over a year coming up with a gluten-free seasoned pretzel. She continues to experiment with different flavours in the kitchen (including a chipotle cheddar flavour!) and has plans to expand her pretzel empire in the future. In the meantime, you can find Snackingtons pretzels at Millarville Farmer’s Market and retail locations in Carstairs, Okotoks, and Airdrie.

Snackingtons | Millarville Farmer’s Market | 306097 192 St., Millarville | 1.800.291.4909| snackingtons.com

Reem’s Kitchen Hillhurst/Sunnyside

Reem Albrasi of Reem’s Kitchen is easy to spot at markets — you’ll find her cheerful smile at a table full of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean baked goods. Reem’s Kitchen offers up a bevy of traditional breads; there’s Arabic flatbread, which is individually pan-fried to chewy perfection, colorful focaccia decorated with bright peppers, tomatoes, and onions, and boat-shaped cheese bread reminiscent of Turkish pide. Reem’s irresistible cheese bread features

reems kitchen a mix of mozzarella and feta and is topped with za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice mix made up of thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, sumac and marjoram.

Reem’s flair for baking led her to start Reem’s Kitchen in 2016, and says it is her way of simultaneously expressing her culture and pursuing her business ambitions. Everything is handmade and homemade, doubly impressive when Reem reveals she is the only chef in the kitchen. The most popular items are her samosas and spinach rolls, both of which are dusted liberally with sesame seeds. The baked samosas are hefty, filled to the brim with potatoes and peas, while the rolls resemble burek, with layers of phyllo pastry wrapped around a delicious mix of spinach and salty feta cheese.

For those with a sweet tooth, not to worry! Next to the breads and savory pastries are boxes of baklava loaded with pistachios and almonds, and an assortment of sweet date-filled pastries and cookies.

Reem’s Kitchen | Farmers & Makers Market at cSPACE, Triwood Farmers Market, Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market | 1721 29 Ave. S.W., 2244 Chicoutimi Dr. N.W., 1320 5 Ave. N.W.| 306.515.1051 | @reemkitchenyyc