Inside Farmr: Toronto's most wholesome fast food eatery

Farmr serves up home-style food fast.

The quick service counter, situated in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, is a new concept from Executive Chef Kyle Webster designed to make eating out more wholesome.

Webster, a Belleville native who has trained and cooked across Ontario and fancy fine dining establishments internationally describes Farmr as “a chef driven approach to home-style food.”

Daily Hive caught up with Webster at Farmr where he cites his time spent cooking in Prince Edward County among his formative experiences and shares his disdain for grocery store greens. The simplicity of picking and plating salads direct from gardens of Prince Edward County is credited as a big inspiration for the new eatery.

“This is how I like to eat,” says Webster prior to serving me turkey meatballs loaded onto a fresh Fred’s Bread bun with a pile of varied verdant leaves on the side simply seasoned with oil and vinegar. It’s easy to agree.

Suppliers such as The New Farm in Creemore, VG Meats in Simcoe and K2 Milling in Beeton are listed on the earnestly local menu. Avocados are decidedly absent, even on the morning menu that bills thick-cut toasts topped with ricotta and preserves, or baked beans, eggs and peameal.

The core offerings were designed by Webster along with head chef Benny Chateau based on the availability of local ingredients year-round and will be supplemented with features to highlight seasonal harvests and accommodate familar cravings.

Staples include roasted chicken, smoked brisket, turkey meatballs and lentil-chickpea fritters on offer in sandwiches, and in individual and family-sized meals offered with a choice of grains, greens, or smashed potatoes, and a choice sides including root veg slaw, roasted sweet potatoes dressed in herbed sour cream and scallions, mushroom-kale salad, and beet and feta salad.

Inside, coffees, teas, wines and beers are on offer for dine-in at ample seating including a long communal harvest table and a covered patio, though Farmr is also aiming for maximum accessibility with take-out, delivery, and catering offered on practically every online platform out there.

With much of the menu prepared in advance and simmering away in Dutch ovens on display, orders require only minimal assembly wholesome meals (arguably better than Mom’s), can be ready in flash.

Farmr

Address: 140 The Esplanade, Unit A, Toronto
Phone: 416-901-8676

Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter

See also

• Inside Sugo: Toronto's new red sauce Italian restaurant
• Inside the huge new steakhouse at Casa Loma (PHOTOS)
• Shanee, a new all-day South East Asian snack bar just replaced Soi Thai