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With Hanukkah celebrations in full swing and Christmas just one week away, we wanted to take the opportunity to share some well wishes from the Olliffe team. It’s impossible to reach this stage of the year without some reflection, and we’re feeling both grateful for the past twelve months and excited about what’s ahead.

In this blog post, we’ve also included some important reminders to help your holidays (and your holiday meals) go as smoothly as possible. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions or would like assistance, please contact us—we’d be glad to hear from you!

A few words of gratitude from our team

The holidays always seem to sneak up on us, but what a wonderful time this is! As we look back on the past year, we’re struck by how very fortunate we are. Not only do we have an incredible group of people working at Olliffe, we have absolutely incredible customers. Thank you to the individuals and families who chose to buy local and support regenerative food by shopping at our Yonge Street butcher shop. By supporting us, you’re helping put additional acres under holistic management, which can lead to more regenerative outcomes here in Ontario.

We think it’s pretty amazing that buying delicious, high quality food from Ontario farmers can contribute to healthier local ecosystems, economies and communities—and we’re glad you agree. From our families to yours, merry Christmas and happy holidays. We hope you enjoy these final weeks of 2025 and wish you all good things in the New Year.

Holiday hours, entertaining tips and more

As usual, we have a few housekeeping items to address. The last date to place an online order for fresh local turkeys, Ontario beef and pork roasts, hams, gourmet prepared dishes and more is Sunday, December 21st. Our holiday collection will be turned off at the end of the day, and no additional pre-orders will be accepted. That said, we will have a limited inventory of holiday products available in store while supplies last. Please visit or call Olliffe to inquire about what’s available. Our team would be glad to assist you and ensure that you have everything you need for a delicious holiday meal.

Olliffe will be open from 8:30am to 2pm on Christmas Eve. We will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. On December 31st, we’ll be open from 8:30am to 3pm. We’ll be closed on New Year’s Day. On all other dates, Olliffe will have regular hours of operation.

Did you order some of our gourmet prepared items? Here are reheating instructions for your convenience. There are also cooking tips for all of your favourite products. And don’t forget to download our FREE holiday entertaining guide—there are plenty of excellent tips including how to brine a turkey, how to make the perfect Christmas gravy and which wines pair best with your favourite holiday entrées.

Thanks for shopping local this holiday season

This festive season and always, we appreciate your support of our proudly independent, Canadian butcher shop. Thank you for including us in your family’s holiday traditions—we hope your winter break is filled with peace, joy and delicious local food. From all of us at Olliffe, happy holidays and all the best in 2025!

As we gather with our loved ones this festive season, it’s tradition to share a delicious holiday meal. A beautifully-prepared turkey, ham or roast is often the star of the show, but side dishes are just as important to your family feast. They’re also an excellent opportunity to get creative and showcase your culinary skills.

Christmas is just three weeks away and this year, the first night of Hanukkah falls on December 14th. It’s safe to say the holiday season is in full swing: dinner parties, drop-in gatherings, potlucks, extended family celebrations and more. If you’re hosting one (or a few) of these festive gatherings, take a moment to review these easy, effective hosting tips from Olliffe.

The holidays are just around the corner, and Olliffe is ready to take your orders for fresh local turkeys, holiday ham, delectable roasts and so much more. No matter what you celebrate, your family deserves a delicious meal made with high quality, local food. Here’s everything you need to know—if you have any questions or would like assistance, please contact us. We’d be glad to help!

If you’re familiar with Olliffe, you know who our key players are: delicious Ontario beef, poultry, lamb and pork products. Our butchers work closely with Ontario farmers who use holistic management on the land they manage, contributing to regenerative outcomes in communities like yours. This may involve cleaner air and water, thriving local ecosystems and biodiversity, among many other things.

There’s something wonderful about prepping dinner early in the day, enjoying the delicious scent of it simmering away all afternoon, then serving a no-hassle meal whenever the timing is right. Whether you’re batch cooking or feeding a large family every evening, a slow cooker is a busy kitchen’s secret weapon—and now that we’re well into chilly November, it’s the perfect time of year to take it out of hibernation.

It’s officially soup season in Canada—that wonderful time of year when we spend chilly evenings inside with a cozy, delicious bowl of homemade soup. Chicken noodle, beef barley, potato and leek with bacon, Italian wedding soup, mulligatawny—we love it all, and we bet you do, too.

Whether you’re a slow cooker aficionado, love your Dutch oven or swear by an old favourite soup pot, these family-friendly recipes are hearty, flavourful and packed with high quality local products from Olliffe. Get your best set of bowls ready—soup’s on!

Creamy lemon chicken orzo soup

This recipe takes a classic chicken noodle soup and cranks up the flavour profile with zesty lemon. There are crisp vegetables, tender chunks of chicken and orzo in every bite, plus a rich, creamy chicken broth. This is one you’ll want to make over and over again. Consider serving it with sliced sourdough or a nice baguette. Here’s the recipe—enjoy.

Beef vegetable soup

Tender Ontario beef, hearty root vegetables and flavourful beef broth make this soup a family favourite. You can personalize it by adding more vegetables (diced parsnips, chopped yellow beans or sliced mushrooms would be delicious). Slice the beef and veggies as large or small as you’d like—it’s up to you. This is a classic winter dish that’s perfect for enjoying with fresh dinner rolls or even garlic bread. Here’s the recipe.

Tortellini sausage soup

Fresh or frozen cheese tortellini is a great product to keep on hand—not only can it be used to make a quick pasta dinner, it’s ideal for adding to delicious winter soups. This one starts with mild Italian sausage and is best made with the rind from a great parmesan cheese (available in store). Because the tortellini will absorb a lot of broth when stored in the fridge, this soup is best enjoyed the day it’s made. Try it with fresh bread and a Caesar salad on the side for a super satisfying meal. Here’s a great recipe.

Happy soup season!

Thanks as always for supporting our proudly independent, Canadian butcher shop. We’re glad to have your business and hope you enjoy these delicious, cozy, comforting soup recipes. If you have another favourite soup recipe, let us know about it in the comments on Facebook or Instagram. We’d love to know what else you’re cooking!

Easy Egg-Fried Rice & Homemade Garlic Chili Crisp recipes, great to pair with our delicious signature beef tenderloin stir fry!

Tomorrow is Friday, October 31st—a date that’s typically known as Halloween. This year, however, October 31st is GAME SIX OF THE WORLD SERIES, and it’s happening in Toronto with the Blue Jays ahead by one. What a time to be alive!

Blue Cheese Crusted Baseball Sirloin, Blue Cheese Dip For Your Olliffe Wings, and The Best Darn Ballpark Dog in the Universe (according to the team at Olliffe)

The Toronto Blue Jays are in the World Series for the first time in 32 years, and we could not be more excited to see them win it all. In celebration of this historic season and how much we love this incredible team, we’re introducing The Olliffe World Series Giveaway. If you love baseball and local food as much as we do, this is something you don’t want to miss.