Fresh City acquires local specialty food retailer

Fresh City continues to strengthen its bricks-and-mortar presence with the acquisition of Mabel's Bakery & Specialty Foods--a specialty food retailer with four stores located throughout Toronto.

Mabel's--which offers homestyle baked goods, prepared foods, ready meals, and artisan breads and cheeses--will retain its current staff and continue to operate under the Mabel's name, according to a press release.

Mabel's co-founder Lorraine Hawley will join Fresh City's senior management team, while her husband and co-founder Bob Warburton will retire in May.

A number of Mabel's products are now available at Fresh City stores, and Fresh City ready-to-eat items are available for purchase at Mabel's stores. And over the coming months, an increasing number of Mabel's products will be available through Fresh City's home delivery service, said Ran Goel, founder & CEO of Fresh City. (Goel was one of Canadian Grocer's 2016 Generation Next Award winners.)

Fresh City launched as an urban farm and online grocer in 2011, and expanded to brick and mortar in April 2018 with a 600-sq.-ft. space on Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto's west end. Its second location, a 2,000-sq.-ft. store on Ossington Avenue, opened last August.