FERGUS – Derek Roberts and Jackie Fraser of Fraberts Fresh Food recently received the Local Food Champion Award.
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott presented the provincial Award at Fraberts on Nov. 15.
“It’s to recognize and support local food and people like Jackie and Derek who do such a great job to promote it,” Arnott said.
Fraberts Fresh Food is a family-owned fresh food market and catering company providing local fresh produce, meat, cheese, dairy products, deli, daily baked bread, ready-made meals and gourmet pizza.
The business is located in the Fergus Marketplace and opened in 2008.
“This is where we belong because this is where the farmers’ market was so that’s actually why we located here,” Fraser said.
Roberts and Fraser were nominated for the award by Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson.
“[We] go way back to our 4-H days and so she’s well aware of our business and she knows how passionate I’ve been about local food really since I was a teenager,” Fraser said.
“So I was pretty excited to be nominated by her because she knows how deeply I feel about this kind of thing.”
The Local Food Champion recognition is meant to motivate people to continue producing, processing and promoting Ontario food.
Recipients were nominated by local MPPs for their local food advocacy and efforts to put local food first.
“On behalf of the township I’d like to thank you for the hard work you put in,” said Centre Wellington councillor Neil Dunsmore.
“We all see how hard you work.
“You’re champions of local food – people that raise it local, grow it local, you sell it to locals and I know the amount of time it takes to run a retail operation in a small town so thank you very much.”
Fraser said it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community.
“We’re honoured to receive the award,” Fraser said.
“We’ve been passionate about local food, for me all my life and Derek once he met me.
“It’s been my passion all my life but unless the community had embraced it and enjoyed it, we wouldn’t have been a success, so thanks to our community for embracing our vision.”
