FLEET MEAT
Charlie Iscoe and Layla Bail grew up in Toronto but met and fell in love in New York. Having grown sick of the grind in their finance and fashion-marketing careers, respectively, they headed off to travel.
“From our first date, we formed a connection over good food, so we naturally prioritized visiting countries known for having vibrant cuisines,” Bail says. “Whether it was organic chicken and quinoa in the Peruvian Andes or grass-fed lamb chops in New Zealand, it was impossible to miss the common ingredient behind all our favourite meals: a respect and dedication to quality agriculture.”
The pandemic cut their globetrotting short, but a move back home allowed the two to pursue a new passion: partnering with smallscale, regenerative farms for a subscription service, Sunday Farms, offering sustainable meats from animals pasture-raised on chemical-free fields and fed natural diets free from GMOs, antibiotics and hormones.
“At the end of the day, helping people eat right is our purpose and what brings us joy,” Iscoe says. “It’s all about conveniently providing food with integrity. Every time we get a five-star review it reminds us there are other people who are fed up with our food system and looking to live healthier lives by connecting to real food.”
Here, the pair share their favourite GTA-based food subscription services that will help you eat local and make life a little yummier.
Rise Market
“Rise Market helps keep your home stocked with healthy staples at prices lower than what you find in stores. We get some of our favourite organic pantry staples from them. They do a great job of showcasing Canadian brands on their site.” —Bail
Blackbird Baking Co.
“Who doesn’t love an awesome fresh-baked sourdough? As Torontonians, we’re lucky we have a few excellent options for delicious sourdoughs, and Blackbird makes it easy with their subscription bundles that get dropped off weekly.” —Iscoe
The Living Vine
“The Living Vine is our go-to source for biodynamic or organic wines. They have a curated subscription service called the Real Wine Club that delivers sommelier-picked biodynamic and organic wines directly to your door.” —Bail
I Deal Coffee
“We love grinding our own beans and making our own coffee every morning — or making a pitcher of cold brew for the week — and I Deal makes sure we stay stocked with the best organically grown beans. Our favourite blends include Around the World and Espresso Blend.” —Iscoe
Greenhouse
“It’s a treat having fresh, delicious organic juices from Greenhouse in stock. It’s a great way to ensure we’re always getting a healthy dose of organic plant-based goodness in our diets. We like to build a crate every month and love the ‘Gatsby’ for our greens and ‘Farma-C’ for a refreshing immunity boost.” —Bail