Advertisement
Food & Drink

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

By Renée Suen| Photography by Renée Suen

Farm Boy’s Toronto takeover continues, with its fifth location now open at Front and Bathurst. The 33,478-square-foot space is filled with fresh produce, a bakery, a cheese counter, a full-service hot bar and salad bar, all kinds of heat-and-eat meals, made-to-order pizzas and—unique to this location—a Village Juicery kiosk. And, of course, the shelves at this Trader Joe’s of the North are stacked with Farm Boy’s super-popular private-label items. We stopped by for a tour to check out all the goods.

The entrance is off Bathurst Street:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Entering the store, customers are ushered into the produce section:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Fresh berries and packages of pre-cut fruits and veggies are displayed at the entrance:

Advertisement
Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The produce section is stocked with fruits and vegetables tailored to the neighbourhood’s demands.

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Displays featuring new products flank the produce section. The current feature is a new line of salad dressings (apple cider coleslaw, red pepper, creamy mango) in addition to their most popular product: lemon garlic dressing.

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Farm Boy’s private-label products, like their popular Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn, take up prized end-cap space:

Advertisement
Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

In addition other brands, the grocery aisle shelves are stocked with all kinds of Farm Boy’s private-label products including alternative flours, low-sodium goods, vegan products, barbecue sauces and school-safe superfood bars:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The frozen section is full of hors d’oeuvres, flatbreads, dim sum, dumplings and all kinds of other heat-and-serve foods:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

There’s a whole section devoted to pierogi:

Advertisement
Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Here we have pre-packaged Ontario-raised meat—both frozen and fresh—along with organic and chef-prepared proteins:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The store carries lamb and veal, as well as rabbit, duck and Cornish hens:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Check out these Farm Boy bacon rounds:

Advertisement
Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The butcher counter displays hormone-free, organic beef, pork and chicken. Farm Boy sells 100 per cent Canadian AAA beef, all of which is aged a minimum of 14 days:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Farm Boy’s chef-inspired line features prepared and pre-marinated proteins that just need to take a quick visit to your grill or oven:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

The seafood section is where you’ll find fresh or frozen eco-friendly, sustainable seafood, as well as chef-prepared options:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

Here we have some oysters, clams and scallops:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

New items include frozen, skin-on wild Ontario pickerel and Arctic char:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Because the olive and antipasto bar are off limits right now, Farm Boy has started to package their preserves, which now have their own aisle:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

When it comes to Farm Boy’s bagels, there are seven per bag—one for each day of the week:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The dairy aisle features cow milk, alternative-dairy and lactose-free goods, including new vegan cheeses. This is where you’ll find Farm Boy’s own ice cream, gelato and sorbet:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Breads and other treats baked on site can be found in the Bake Shop:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

Farm Boy’s own Cruffies—part croissant, part muffin—are a fan favourite:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The deli counter carries everything you need to build a sandwich or a charcuterie board—including the boards themselves:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Farm Boy sells over 400 kinds of cheese, many of which are made locally:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

The grab-and-go section features dips, house-made sauces, appetizers, pre-packaged salads and over 19 kinds of soup:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

There’s also a new line of diner-inspired dinners, including mac-and-cheese, chicken alfredo and pork schnitzel:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The items at the full-service hot bar and salad bar are constantly being refreshed and rotated:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

Customers can also grab something from the pizzeria, the grill or the sushi station:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Here’s a closer look at the pizza:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

The Village Juicery has its own kiosk:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

More grab-and-go snacks and drinks are conveniently located by the checkouts:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

For the time being, extra shopping carts are parked in what was supposed to be the store’s dine-in area. (Seating will be made available when we’re allowed to dine inside again.)

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

There are reusable bags, lined boxes and backpacks available for sale as part of the store’s BYOB program. (That last B stands for bags, not booze. Sorry.)

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

 

Advertisement

Thank you, come again:

Inside the new 33,000-square-foot Farm Boy at Front and Bathurst

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Big Stories

Quality Trash: Meet director Ron Oliver, Hallmark’s king of schmaltz
Deep Dives

Quality Trash: Meet director Ron Oliver, Hallmark’s king of schmaltz