Market Fresh Meat & Produce

I don’t go grocery shopping here, as it is on the pricey side, but their baked goods are to die for! So GOOD. Would definitely recommend the cream horn, not too sweet and extremely light. The Rosemary focaccia bread is also delicious and when it’s in stock I always pick up a loaf. I come here time and time again, and have never been disappointed!

If you’re looking to get groceries downtown Guelph, Market fresh is pretty much your best bet. It’s a bit on the pricier side due to lack of competition but they do offer products not readily available at the big supermarket chains. Daily fresh baked goods and a hot foods table also makes it ideal for a quick grab and go meal. The produce is quite fresh as well. It is small and gets quite busy in there so it’s hardly ever a calm shopping experience.

Yes, Market Fresh is expensive. No one is arguing it isn’t a pricey place to go but they have excellent food made in store. Their raw hamburgers come in so many different flavours in the summer and they are all incredibly delicious! My favourites included one that had chunks of onions and cheese. They are large and very filling. You can tell they use quality ingredients. You can get two large burgers for around 5 – 6 dollars, and they often have burgers in the reduced section with a dollar off for quick sale.
I also am a huge fan of Market Fresh’s pre-​cooked meals. I just tried their Lemon Cashew Chicken with rice. It was so good! Unlike most lemon chicken that is just covered in a sweet lemon sauce, this lemon chicken tasted like real lemons and was not overly sweet. It had lots of vegetables like peppers and onions mixed in and was very filling. A portion for around 6 dollars fed two people for a quick lunch.
I also really enjoy their pre-​cooked pulled pork. It comes with a mustard sauce that is tangy and really unique! Buy a couple of buns from their bakery and it is an easy lunch or dinner that would feed 2 adults and makes about 3 medium sized sandwichs.
Their pre-​cooked meatballs in sauce are great for meatball subs! They are large meatballs and don’t taste like they contain a lot of unnecessary fillers. Again buy some buns, a couple slices of cheese from the deli and make meatball subs! One pack of meatballs contains enough for 4+ sandwichs! This is a personal fav of mine.
I also love their quiches and mini pot pies. Pulled pork meat pie is an interesting twist and I really loved it.
I also really enjoy their breaded chicken from the meat department, it gets so crispy in the oven! You can get breasts, thighs and drumsticks in this breading and it is very tasty. I highly recommend these for dinner with a side of veggies. Speaking of which, Market Fresh’s pre-​cooked mixed veggies are very good too!
Honestly, Market Fresh hasn’t paid me to write this review! I just love everything they sell LOL.

Market Fresh tries really really hard to be a fancy gourmet grocery store. I get that it’s Guelph and there’s not much variety. Essentially, I feel like this place is Guelph’s version of Toronto’s Pusateri’s. However, that being said, I do agree with the first reviewer. They sell things for a really high price but they don’t have high quality goods that justify that price. I have absolutely no problem spending extra money on high quality, fine foods. However, when I can buy that same bag of bread or the same pastries at another place in Guelph for ½ that price, why should I come here?
I must admit that their cheese and vegetables are extremely fresh. I made an avocado, tomato salad sprinkled with parmesan cheese and everything was delicious, fresh, and crisp.
Their pastries are OK. I feel like they are the same quality as the ones I get at University Square Bakery.
I had a colleague once mention how intrigued she was by Market Fresh so I had to check it out. Unfortunately, I was moderately disappointed after going there. Only because I have Pusateri’s, Whole Foods, etc. and all those places back at home. It’s funny because the last time I saw her, she had made a trip down to Toronto and discovered those ready-​made sandwiches and goods at Pusateri’s and told me how intrigued she was.

I really like this place. I drive from Elora on a fairly regular basis to shop there. Yes the prices may be a bit high, but tell me someplace these days that isn’t. The fresh produce and meats are very good quality. There is a lot of choice for a small store. I love their bakery department, yum! They have a good selection of products usually not easy to find just anywhere. The only change I really would like to have, would be a larger store, it is too crowded. And I understand that is taking place in Jan 2012!
I wish we had somewhere near Elora to shop like Market Fresh, until then I will continue to support the Guelph store. (p.s. the breads ARE fabulous!)

Essentially the only real option for groceries in downtown Guelph. Market Fresh is a small place consisting of two rooms. The front room is produce, meats, and cheese. The fruit and vegetable selection is pretty good and this is really the only thing I buy here. Prices are high but I suppose that’s to be expected.
The back room is bakery and all the dry, frozen, and canned goods. Selection here is limited and prices are too high. Also, their bread is terrible and they pretty much only have store baked bread.
The main problem with Market Fresh is that they’re trying to be a gourmet grocer. Unfortunately they’re failing at it and the end result is overpriced, pseudo-​gourmet items. Why bother having some fancy looking brand of tortillas for $ 6 a pack when guaranteed it’s worse than the normal grocery store brand at half the price. Same thing with pasta. All this stuff just clutters up the shelves and means there’s no room for useful stuff.
If Market Fresh focused on reasonably priced but quality items and improved their selection it could be a five star place.
Regardless, I’m still glad they exist because it means I can avoid missioning out No Frills or Metro if I just need some tomatoes or something.