There’s a New Toast Bar in Granville Island Public Market, and It’s Amazing

The Preservatory Provisions and Toast Bar takes over the location opposite JJ Bean, and features its namesakes' preserves.

We’re already big fans of The Preservatory over here at Vanmag—their Salted Lemon & Nori won our Sweet category in the 2022 Made in Vancouver Awards, and I’ve been making sure I keep a steady supply of it in my fridge at all times. (It’s one of those ridiculously flexible condiments that is as great with roast chicken as it is stirred into a cocktail).

So perhaps not surprisingly, the team at The Preservatory has knocked it out of the park with its new Preservatory Provisions and Toast Bar in the Granville Island Public Market. They’ve taken over the location directly across from JJ Bean in a space that serves as both a tasting bar for their 30-plus preserves (from Rhubarb & Vanilla or Green Heirloom Tomato & Garam Masala to Curried Apple & Coconut, Spiced Walnut Butter and more), as well as an eat-on-site Toast Bar with a rotating, seasonal menu.

The brand has been crafting those small-batch preserves in copper kettles for over 20 years now, which all started with their still-the-most-popular Fig & Walnut Wine preserve. The Preservatory is based on Vista D’Oro Farms—said maker of that walnut wine—and 60 percent of the fruit that they preserve is grown right at their Langley farm site.

 

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Owner and operator (and the woman behind all of those creative preserve combos) Lee Murphy works with neighbouring farms (like Westham Island Herb Farm and Pinsch of Soil) for the rest of it—and many of the unusual combinations come from what’s been made available to her on any given week. Fan favourites like Beet with Orange and Pink Peppercorns are the result of a large beet harvest one season, while the recipe for the award-winning Salted Lemon & Nori was the developed to reduce waste at the facility. (Lemons are used in high volume in other preserves, and the team wanted to find a way to repurpose the lemon peels, rather than just compost them.)

The Toast Bar’s seasonal menu is win after win: choose your toast (from either Nelson the Seagull, Terra Breads, or for the GF folks, a gluten-free bun from Good Flour Co.), and then from a variety of combos. The Avocado Toast ($12) is a beauty topped with Peach with Jalapeno & Tequila preserves, plus a sprinkling of homemade togarashi and a drizzle of olive oil. The Ricotta Toast ($12) is just gorgeous: whipped herbed ricotta is topped with ripe pomegranate, cracked pepper, fresh mint and their own Raspberry Merlot & Peppercorn preserves.

The gluten-free bun topped with avocado, togarashi, cilantro and the Preservatory’s peach with jalapeno and tequila preserve (bottom); and the whipped ricotta topped with pomegranate, mint and their Raspberry Merlot & Peppercorn preserves.

The team at the Preservatory is also working with local purveyors from the market: Cheese Toast ($14) is topped with a rotating selection of B.C. cheeses curated by Benton Bros.; the Charcuterie Toast ($14) features Oyama’s duck rillet (with mustard, housemade pickles, cracked black pepper and that lovely Fig & Walnut Wine preserves).

For gluten-embracing folks, the sourdough topped with whipped ricotta, pomegranate, mint and the Raspberry Merlot & Peppercorn preserves.

They’ve also stocked a few hard-to-source locally made items, like Fukasaku’s Goma-ae Sauce—straight from the legendary Prince Rupert sushi bar where seafood is sourced from local fishermen. And from Vanmag‘s on-the-newsstands-now list of 23 Things to Eat & Drink in 2023: Mumgry’s Pistachio Chocolate Almond Butter.

They’re open during market hours (9am to 6pm, closing at 5pm on Christmas Eve), and if you’re stopping by soon (which you should)—grab me a jar of Salted Lemon and Nori, would you?

Preservatory Provisions and Toast Bar, 1689 Johnston St., Granville Island Public Market (opposite JJ Bean)