If you haven’t been to Revelstoke Kitchen and Café yet, then you are truly missing out. Revelstoke is a 100 percent plant-based café that is owned by a couple, Conner and Tasha Clarkin, who also live a plant-based lifestyle. All the food is locally sourced, with even the coffee coming from another local favourite café, Dreams of Beans on Hunter Street. On any day of the week except Monday, you can find the couple prepping food and baking tasty treats in the early hours of the morning before the shop opens at 10 a.m.
If the food hasn’t sold out by the end of the day, Conner and Tasha will either take the food home, or give it away to others. The couple strongly believes in fresh food and sustainability.
“The biggest struggle in the restaurant industry today is the waste and the sustainability side is just not there, and we need to take a bit more responsibility. We are trying to do that with our café and the little steps we make,” says Conner. Food is not the only way that the café tries to do their part for the planet. All the furniture and items found in the place are refurbished or sought out second- hand, as to not support new materials being wasted.
While Peterborough has no lack of options for vegan options downtown, nothing compares to the vegan brunch that Revelstoke has to offer. The couple says that this is one of their biggest successes, and that they hope to create a more exclusive brunch menu for the weekends moving forward.
Their cinnamon buns seem to be a staple in the dessert display window, but you can always find new cupcakes, cookies, or other desserts in the window to choose from. The café is also very inclusive to those with a gluten-free lifestyle, and considerate of those with allergies, with quite a few gluten-free options on the menu, and on a lucky day they will feature gluten-free desserts as well.
When asked if Conner and Tasha had a favourite thing on the menu, Conner said he couldn’t choose because he likes everything, while Tasha laughed and claimed she likes anything with bacon. If you’re looking for a recommendation, a crowd favourite is the “West Coast Breakfast”, which features tofu scramble, potato hash, toast, hollandaise, a fresh salad and, of course, bacon.
If you’re vegan or dairy-free, and have been left out from all the festive drinks that Starbucks offers, you can get your fix at Revelstoke. In the fall, they had their version of a Pumpkin Spice Latte and currently you can find a Peppermint Mocha or a Salted Caramel Latte to satisfy your holiday cravings.
And if the amazing food and ethical values are not enough to pull you into the charm of this café, they have the most instagrammable dishes I’ve ever seen. The presentation of the plates and attention to detail shows how much the couple values their customer service.
“This town is so vibrant and has so much to offer, and there’s lots of spaces that keep getting shut down, so it’s nice to have somewhere where people can come and feel safe,” says Conner. “We’d love to do more dinner or evening events, and get groups using the space when we’re not, to open up the space a lot more.”
If you’re ready to fall in love with Revelstoke, you can find them at 641 George street North from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends.