What Does Local Mean at Lee & Maria’s?

“Local” is one of those words that gets used often, but not always clearly.

At Lee & Maria’s, local generally means products grown or made in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. That is the region we look to first when we are building around what is fresh, seasonal and close to home.

That matters because local is not just a label. It shapes how food moves through the market. It affects flavour, freshness, and the connection people feel to what they are buying. A product grown or made nearby often reaches the shelf with less distance, less delay and a clearer sense of where it came from.

That said, local is not the only thing on the shelf. A good market should still be useful. People shop for everyday meals, weekends with friends, pantry staples and a hundred practical things in between. So alongside local products, there is also a broader mix of carefully selected goods from across Ontario, Canada and beyond.

The goal is not to turn “local” into a catch-all. It is to be thoughtful about what belongs in the market and how it gets there. In season, that may mean a stronger emphasis on produce and products from nearby farms and makers. At other times of year, it may mean balancing regional products with other goods that help customers shop more fully in one place.

For many people, buying local is not about making every purchase perfect. It is about making more room for nearby growers, makers and producers where it makes sense. It is about choosing food with a stronger connection to the place you live.

That is how we think about it at Lee & Maria’s. Start close to home where possible. Stay honest about what local means. Build a market that feels useful, seasonal and rooted in the region.