AG Valley Foods in Invermere received national recognition for its customer service.
The store was given the award of Canada’s Top Grocer Under 15,000 square feet by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.
“It’s a huge deal for us, it’s something I’ve dreamed of for 20 years,” said AG Valley Foods owner Sidney-Anne Porter.
Ported added a commendation of her staff on their work.
“I had a customer in the summer that came in and asked ‘wow, is this place new?” Porter said. “Everybody here from the bottom to the top works hard to make our customers feel welcome and that they have a good experience.”
According to Porter, AG Valley Foods has been able to stay ahead of the trends to keep its edge.
“about 19 or 20 years ago, we started moving into some alternative foods, bringing in some organic and gluten-free options. It’s become a huge part of who we are,” said Porter. “We have around 30 local vendors. Everything from jam makers to chocolate bar makers. If it’s local, and we can sell it in our store, we do.”
Porter and her family have owned AG Valley Foods for the last 21 years.