Blarney Stone Market opens up
Welcome to the market!
A new world of delicious, international food shopping is opening its doors this weekend inside the Killarney Place Mall.
It’s the Blarney Stone Market, and owner Rick Pauls is thrilled to bring this cornucopia of taste treats – including ready-to-heat appies, condiments, sauces, salad dressings, olive oil and olives, coffee, non-alcohol wine, kitchenware items, gluten-free items, and much, much more – to both the local area, and to surrounding towns and communities.
“We are just getting started and there is so much more to arrive,” said Pauls. “Right now it’s kind of a walk-in, pop-up market, as we wait for our fixtures to arrive, and for a lot more amazing food items to be delivered. We are hoping to make this a destination for a great food shopping experience, and something a little different for Killarney. The market will be like something you see in Winnipeg, like at The Forks.”
Restaurant business formats have been radically changing, especially due to the global pandemic and restrictions, and this move to convert part of the Blarney Stone Pub and Restaurant into a vibrant new market space resonates as a great change of key for long-time restaurateur Pauls.
“We wanted to stay with our line of food, but expand the food shopping experience,” he said. “Everything has changed for restaurants, and we have to adapt. More people are cooking more at home. The idea is also that we are going to be featuring special things here in the market that customers might have tried in the restaurant, and want to recreate in their own kitchens. You can come in, and put everything together for an entire, fabulous meal in just one stop. We will have changing themes throughout the year. We have suppliers from all over Canada, such as Wildly Delicious, John Norget, and DeLuca’s, from Winnipeg. We already have 13 kinds of olives on the shelves. A lot of the items for sale here also make wonderful gifts for friends and family, and we are doing our gift baskets for Christmas again this year.”
The Blarney Stone Market officially opens tomorrow, Saturday, November 20, at 9:30 a.m. Opening times will be from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday till Christmas. A Grand Opening is planned for sometime in the new year, and will include a chance to taste and try out samples of the moveable feast of treasures available at the new venue.
“We might open on Sundays, until Christmas, from 1 to 4 p.m.,” said Pauls. “Everything is very fluid right now. And for people who can’t wait for the Saturday morning opening, we are having a sneak preview tonight, Friday, November 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.”
To order a Christmas basket, or to find out more about the market, you can contact the Blarney Stone Market at 204-523-7782.
