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Major honour for Okanagan-Shuswap grocer

Askew’s Foods, with stores in Armstrong, Salmon Arm and Sicamous, picks up national recognition
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Askew’s Foods was honoured to be awarded with the 2018 Arnold Rands Heritage Award at the 56th annual Canadian Independent Grocery of the Year Awards ceremony in Toronto. Accepting the honour are, from left: Larry Chmielewski (AG Foods); Dave Wallace (Askew’s Foods, 35 years with the company); Shana Oberst (Askew’s Foods, 20 years with the company); David Askew (Askew’s President, third generation family member; Peter Askew (fourth generation family member). (Photo by Andrea Michaely)

Askew’s Foods has been recognized with a major award.

The grocery outlet, with locations in Armstrong, Salmon Arm and Sicamous, was named winner of the Arnold Rands Heritage Award at the 56th annual Canadian Independent Grocery of the Year Awards ceremony in Toronto.

The award is given to the year’s best privately-owned multi-generational store.

RELATED: Askew’s earns Top Grocer award

The award was presented to third generation grocer David Askew and other representatives in front of a gala audience of more than 500 leading grocers, supplies and distributors at Grocery Innovations Canada 2018, the premier grocery conference and trade show.

Each year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) Awards Program recognizes the success of outstanding independent retailers across the country.

RELATED: Businesses honoured for excellence

The Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year is the most prestigious award CFIG can bestow. Each year, independent grocery stores from coast-to-coast in Canada compete for the coveted title in each of the specialty, large, medium and small surface categories.

Each of the competing stores is visited personally by a highly respected retail management expert, who evaluates competing stores based on retailing excellence and innovation, store team performance, customer service, space utilization, freshness and cleanliness.

NATIONAL GOLD WINNERS:

Save-On-Foods – Northgate, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Large Surface)

Longo’s – York Mills, Toronto, Ontario (Medium Surface)

Blind Bay Village Grocer, Blind Bay, British Columbia (Small Surface)

DAVID C. PARSONS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN SPECIALTY FOOD RETAILING (GOLD):

Galleria Supermarket – Thornhill, Toronto, Ontario

ARNOLD RANDS HERITAGE AWARD

David Askew and Family - Askew’s Foods, Salmon Arm, Armstrong, Sicamous, British Columbia

HALL OF FAME (IGYA)

Jeffrey Min and Jaeho Park

Galleria Supermarket, Thornhill, Ontario

Eric Wood and Staff

Longo’s – Burloak, Oakville, Ontario

HALL OF FAME (MASTER MERCHANDISER):

Carl and Nathalie Dessureault and Rene Larocque – Dessureault Your Independent Grocer, Ottawa, Ontario

Darcy Ginter and The Store Team - Quality Foods, Parksville, British Columbia

Jim and Vicki Bexis, Peter and Agusta Vacirtzoglou and Staff - Sun Valley Supermarket, Toronto, Ontario

About the Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards

The Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year is the most prestigious award CFIG can bestow. Each year, independent grocery stores from coast-to-coast in Canada compete for the coveted title in each of the specialty, large, medium and small surface categories.

Each of the competing stores is visited personally by a highly respected retail management expert, who evaluates competing stores based on retailing excellence and innovation, store team performance, customer service, space utilization, freshness and cleanliness. The gala awards evening takes place annually at Grocery Innovations Canada, the premier grocery event in the country.

*Complete winners list of 2018 Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards, HERE.



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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