Where Dinner Begins: A Chef’s Guide to the Farmers’ Markets of Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam & Port Moody

There is something about walking into a farmers’ market as a chef that never gets old.

I can arrive with a menu planned and a pretty good idea of what I want to cook. Then I see the mushrooms, the vegetables, the cheese, the honey, the fresh herbs — and suddenly the menu changes.

That’s the magic of a farmers’ market.

For me, the markets around Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Moody aren't

simply places to buy groceries. They are places to discover food.

They remind us that cooking starts long before the pan hits the stove. It starts with the farmers, growers, cheesemakers, beekeepers, bakers and small businesses who bring their products to our communities.

Shop Like a Chef

One of my favourite ways to shop a farmers’ market is without a recipe.

Instead, I ask:

What looks incredible today?

Maybe it's beautiful mushrooms. Young carrots. Fresh greens. Tomatoes that actually smell like tomatoes.

Then I find some local cheese, honey and herbs.

Before I know it, I have the beginnings of dinner.

I might roast the vegetables, sear the mushrooms in butter and garlic, warm some sourdough and finish everything with fresh herbs and a little local honey.

The cheese goes in the centre of the table.

The meal comes together naturally.

That's what I love about cooking.

The ingredients lead. The chef follows.

Vancouver: Endless Inspiration

Vancouver has an incredible farmers’ market culture, with markets throughout the city offering fresh produce, specialty foods, baked goods, dairy, meat, seafood and products from local producers.

Whether it's a Saturday morning at Riley Park or Trout Lake, a Sunday at Kitsilano or Mount Pleasant, or a midweek stop at Downtown Vancouver or False Creek, there is always an opportunity to find something that inspires the next meal.

And that's the beauty of shopping this way.

You never quite know what you'll find.

Burnaby: Saturday at the Artisan Farmers Market

The Burnaby Artisan Farmers Market is a great summer stop for fresh produce, specialty foods, baked goods and products from local makers and small businesses.

What I enjoy most about markets like this is the connection.

You're not just buying something.

You're meeting the person who made it.

And that connection makes the food taste a little different when you bring it home.

Coquitlam: Where Sunday Dinner Begins

For those of us in the Tri-Cities, the Coquitlam Farmers Market is a Sunday morning tradition.

Held at Dogwood Pavilion, the market brings together local producers offering vegetables, eggs, cheese, honey, baked goods, prepared foods and specialty products.

My advice?

Walk the entire market before you buy anything.

Ask what's best.

Ask what's in season.

Ask the producer what they would do with it.

Then build your dinner.

Maybe it's mushrooms, carrots, herbs, cheese and honey.

That's more than enough.

Roast the carrots. Sear the mushrooms. Warm the bread. Put the cheese on the table. Whisk the honey with vinegar and mustard.

Keep it simple.

When the ingredients are great, they don't need much help.

Port Moody: A Midweek Market

The Port Moody Farmers Market brings a different rhythm to the week.

Wednesday afternoon.

Finish work.

Stop at the market.

See what's beautiful.

Take it home.

Cook.

According to the current 2026 Grow Local schedule, the market runs from 3–7 p.m. from June through October.

You don't need to wait for the weekend to eat seasonally or cook something special.

Sometimes a great dinner on an ordinary Wednesday is exactly what you need.

The Ingredients That Make Me Stop

There are certain things that always catch my attention at a market.

Mushrooms can become the star of a dish with nothing more than a hot pan, butter, garlic and herbs.

Fresh vegetables don't need complicated preparation when they're picked at the right time.

Cheese can transform a simple meal, whether it's melted into a dish, served with warm bread or placed in the centre of the table.

And local honey is one of my favourite ingredients. It works beautifully with roasted vegetables, cheese, dressings and desserts.

Then there are the spirits.

Local distillers and producers add another dimension to the market experience. A spirit isn't just something to pour into a glass — it can become part of a cocktail, a sauce or the perfect way to finish a meal.

Businesses such as Mainland Whiskey are part of the local producer community, giving us another reason to look beyond the traditional grocery list.

Supporting Local Puts the Story Back on the Plate

This is perhaps the biggest reason I love farmers’ markets.

You can meet the farmer.

Talk to the cheesemaker.

Ask the beekeeper about the honey.

Discover a mushroom grower.

Find a local baker or distiller.

You learn where your food comes from and meet the people who put their time, skill and passion into producing it.

Supporting local isn't just about buying food closer to home.

It's about helping build the kind of food community we want to have.

My Chef's Rule: Buy One Thing You Didn't Plan For

If I could give you one piece of advice this summer, it would be this:

Buy one thing you didn't plan to buy.

Try a mushroom you've never cooked.

Taste a new cheese.

Pick up a vegetable you don't recognize.

Buy a jar of local honey.

Talk to the person who made it.

Then take it home and figure it out.

That's how some of the best meals happen.

Not from a perfect recipe or a perfectly organized shopping list, but from seeing something beautiful and thinking:

“I have to cook that.”

Your 2026 Summer Farmers’ Market Guide

Market	Day	Time	2026 Season
Riley Park – Vancouver	Saturday	10 a.m.–2 p.m.	Apr. 4–Oct. 31
Trout Lake – Vancouver	Saturday	9 a.m.–2 p.m.	Apr. 4–Oct. 31
West End – Vancouver	Saturday	9 a.m.–2 p.m.	May 2–Oct. 31
Kitsilano – Vancouver	Sunday	10 a.m.–2 p.m.	May 3–Nov. 1
Mount Pleasant – Vancouver	Sunday	10 a.m.–2 p.m.	May 3–Nov. 1
Downtown – Vancouver	Wednesday	2–6 p.m.	May 13–Dec. 23
False Creek – Vancouver	Thursday	3–7 p.m.	May 14–Oct. 29
Burnaby Artisan	Saturday	10 a.m.–2 p.m.	June 13–Aug. 29
Coquitlam	Sunday	9 a.m.–1 p.m.	May–October
Port Moody	Wednesday	3–7 p.m.	June–October

Market dates and locations can change, so check with the individual market before heading out.

So, What Are You Cooking Tonight?

You don't need to be a professional chef to enjoy a farmers’ market.

You don't need expensive equipment or a complicated recipe.

Just show up.

Walk slowly.

Talk to the people growing and making your food.

Pick the best ingredients you can find.

Then take them home and cook.

Maybe the mushrooms become the star.

Maybe the vegetables become a beautiful platter.

Maybe the cheese becomes the centre of the table.

Maybe honey ties everything together.

Maybe a local spirit becomes the cocktail that starts the evening.

And maybe, for one night, dinner tastes exactly like British Columbia in the summer.

That's what supporting local food can do.

It puts the story back on the plate.

And as a chef, that's the kind of story I want to cook.

The farmers’ market isn't simply where you buy dinner.

It's where dinner begins.