A Victoria food tour company is launching a delivery service that offers customers food from local restaurants.
Off The Eaten Track, which normally organizes walking food tours, is set to launch the Brown Bag Food Tour, is set to launch a new delivery service on April 21 that lets customers purchase brown bags that contain dishes from six to seven local businesses.
Bonnie Todd, owner of Off The Eaten Track, said she came up with the idea as a way to support local businesses amid the pandemic as many of them, including her own, have been hit hard lately.
“I was stuck with a double whammy with being in tourism and taking people to restaurants, the two things that were hit really badly,” she said. “So, I thought it might be nice to put together a package where people could support multiple local restaurants all in one. I decided I could put together one of my food tours and create a little bag that could be delivered.”
Each bag includes savoury pies from The Victoria Pie Company, bao buns from Bao Victoria, charcuterie from Bull & Sons Deli, caramels from Tout de Sweet, macarons from La Roux Patisserie and sodas from Phillips Brewery. Customers can add coffee from the 2% Jazz Coffee Company.
“It’s basically the same samples that you would have when you came on my food tour but now, I am bringing it to you,” Todd said. “They are small businesses and they’re all local to the neighbourhood. It’s a good opportunity to support them and it is also a good opportunity to try some things that you might not have tried in the past.”
Bags come in two sizes, small and large. Small bags are ideal for one to two people and large bags are ideal for three to four people. Also included in each bag is a $25 gift certificate to a future walking tour with Off The Eaten Track.
A small bag costs $80 while the large bag costs $120. Cost includes delivery within Victoria. A $5 dollar donation will be made per order to the Boxes of Hope, an initiative that provides a warm healthy meal to those in need.
“I am really hoping the people who are still at work and do have the funds can try and support some local businesses,” Todd said, later adding. “It’s truly an opportunity to adapt, get creative and support local businesses and get people to try and explore new foods.”
As with so many other small business owners, the coronavirus pandemic has forced Todd to lay off her employees and refund $5,000 worth of ticket sales. She said she considers herself lucky though because unlike local restaurants, she doesn’t have to worry about making lease or rent payments for a store.
“I don’t have a brick and mortar. I really feel for the restaurants who have to pay rent because they’re just not making it at all,” Todd said. “I am taking a leap of faith and just trying to stay a business otherwise I have literally no business. But again, I am lucky because I don’t have rent.”
Off The Eaten Track will deliver bags by contactless delivery between Tuesday and Saturday, during the afternoon hours. Purchases can be made through their online ordering and payment system.
For more information, visit https://offtheeatentracktours.ca/brown-bagged-food-tour/
Nicholas Pescod
