New food place The Cure to open up in downtown Kamloops early next year

Photo: Brendan Kergin

For fans of cheese, charcuterie and condiments, a new store opening up soon in downtown Kamloops should pique some interest.

The Cure is a new business from Nicole Mackie, the owner and operator of the Salty Fig Catering. Her catering company has been growing since 2015; last year, they opened a production kitchen off of Lorne Street.

Now, she'll be taking over 607 Victoria St. to open The Cure. If all goes well, she's looking at a February opening (if the fridges arrive on time).

"Our heavy focus is on cheese and charcuterie pairings, condiments, spices," Mackie tells Castanet.

She'll be looking local for the products she carries.

"All the cheese is locally and Canadian sourced," she explains. "There’ll be my own production of preserves, like jams and jellies for pairing with your cheese and charcuterie board."

There'll also be kitchenware, including serving and presentation items for sharing the charcuterie.

"I really believe in basic tools, nothing gimmicky," Mackie says. "It’ll be like stainless steel whisks, charcuterie boards, local dishes for serving."

Part of the impetus for The Cure is to educate people on where their food is coming from.

"I’m wanting it to be a hub to educate people about the food they're eating," Mackie says, explaining that she or one of the employees will be on hand to suggest and recommend certain pairings.

Full charcuterie boards will be on offer for order as well, so customers don't have to figure out what combinations work. Items will also change, depending on the season; baskets for picnics are planned to be on sale this spring.

Informed by the ongoing pandemic, an online shop will run alongside the brick-and-mortar store. The physical shop can then be used for pickup. The Salty Fig's cheese box program will also transfer over to The Cure once it's up and running.