Upscale foods are no longer a fancy restaurant staple. You can now find them at Loblaws too.
The country’s largest grocery chain – Loblaws Canada, who else, launched a premium supermarket line of specialty aka gourmet products in 2012. It’s true, the news isn’t fresh, but some of us are sometimes joining mid-game.
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Everyone here in Canada knows that President’s Choice is one of the country’s premium private labels. PC is actually that premium a brand that fellow American customers have been looking for President’s Choice ever since Amazon. No such luck though, not even Amazon carries Canada’s best of bests private label goods, except for a few scattered choices.
Back to Loblaws luxury line, the company launched President’s Choice Black Label during an exclusive dinner party back in September 2012, valet parking and everything. Chefs attended, media attended, food writers attended, all given the privilege of taste for some of the brand’s gourmet items turned into luxury meals. Whether it gave their taste buds a kick or not, that’s for them to know and us to find out.
Nevertheless, here are seven Loblaws Black Label items that might have as well served (some did, some probably not) to create the menu for that fancy dinner. It’s all about that taste.
PC Black Label Peperoncini Piccanti Hot Red Chili Peppers in Oil
It has hot red chili peppers imported from Italy, seasoned in oil. Can be used to cook pizza, pasta dishes, sandwiches and the like.
PC Black Label Smoky Bacon Marmalade
It has bacon, then orange peel, sautéed onion, orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar of Modena, bacon seasoning, water and sugar. It is bacon-ey and it is orange-y.
PC Black Label Comté Hard Ripened Cheese
It has unpasteurized cow’s milk sourced entirely from the Montbeliarde or French Simmental cattle, it melts wonderfully, and it’s made in the Jura Mountains that stretch along the sides of the French and Swiss border. An artisan cheese!
PC Black Label Salted Caramel Ice Cream
It’s made with Canadian whole cream, 100% Canadian milk, egg yolks, butter and of course sugar. It has salty toffee pieces that balance the sweetness amount. Recommendation: eat in moderation.
PC Black Label Basil Pesto
It has rich olive oil, pine nuts, cashews, grated cheese, and it is imported from Italy. Must be served with pasta dishes at all costs.
PC Black Label White Chocolate Chunk All Butter Cookies
Forget The Decadent. Here’s a good replacement: chocolate chunks-loaded cookies made with enriched wheat flour, butter, golden syrup and baking powders. To be enjoyed with a nice refreshing milkshake.
PC Black Label Rhubarb and Ginger Fruit Spread
Best served on a warm slice of toast or a buttery croissant, the combination of rhubarb and aromatic ginger spice up the taste buds.
President’s Choice brand carries over 2000 products altogether and at the time when the Black Label was launched, Loblaws had not carried a high-end line of products before. They are constantly adding new items to every one of their private label lines and it remains to be seen how they’ll top all the other offerings.