Natureway Farm Market

Some shopping trips are about the weekly haul, and some are about tonight's dinner. Natureway Farm Market serves the second kind from 1449 Prairie Avenue, in the central stretch of Port Coquitlam where Prairie Avenue runs through the downtown core. The shop is independent by listing and by character, one of the smaller food rooms in a city where the big banners do most of the heavy lifting.

Independent food shops of this kind usually build their reputation on freshness and on stock that differs from the supermarket aisle: seasonal produce, pantry staples, or the items the big stores overlook. A first visit is worth using as a reconnaissance trip: see what the cooler and the produce bins carry, ask where staples come from, and find out whether the market takes requests for items it does not yet stock. Small grocers can often move faster than large ones on exactly that kind of ask.

A phone number is included, so shoppers can call ahead to ask about hours, current stock and whether the market runs any weekly features. A short call also settles parking and entrance questions for first-time visitors, and confirming by phone before a special trip is worth making a habit. It is also the kind of stop that works just as well for a single ingredient missing from dinner as for a full basket for the week.