As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I had opportunity to drop by 4 Oak Oil & Vinegar here in Kamloops a few weeks back.   4 Oak is one of the first gourmet specialty stores in Kamloops, and hopefully the first of many.  Living in a smaller center, gourmet stores are uncommon, and while the ‘mega-marts’ are starting to carry a selection of specialty items, you can’t get the level of selection, service or knowledge that comes with a specialty shop such as this.

This is definitely the case with 4 Oak.  I was fortunate to be able to spend the better part of an hour with Judy, the manager of the store and I learned both about the shop, and the products they carry.  4 Oak is a family operation, owned by a family from Quesnel.  They have a shop a Prince George, and then the store here in Kamloops, where they purvey a great selection of olive oils, balsamic vinegars and interesting gourmet items.  They take pride in the design and appearance of the shop, and offer the customer a unique experience where you can taste the products to get an idea of what the differences are, and what goes with what.

Judy was very knowledgeable about the products, and took a great deal of time showing me around, helping me play with mixing different oils and vinegars.  She explained to me the differences in the various grades of olive oils, and how they can change from year to year and season to season depending on where they come from, and like wine how the year was in that area. 

4 Oak works with a supplier out of California for their oils and vinegars, and they offer oils that meet the Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil standards.  More information on the UP standard can be found here.  The balsamic vinegars they carry are also of the highest standard, and in an amazing array of varieties and flavours.  The real treat of 4 Oak is that with pretty much the entire selection of products you are welcome to try before you buy. 

In addition to a variety of sizes available for each product in their lines, there are sample packs available.  Depending on which one you choose, they offer a great selection of themed flavours that you can take home to experiment with.  If you know a ‘foodie’ and you’re looking for a unique gift idea, this is a great place to check out.

There’s also a great selection of other gourmet products, many of them from around BC.  They carry the Pappardelle’s Pasta line out of Denver, which offers some very interesting flavoured dried pasta.  I have created a Shrimp pasta dish using their Lemon Ginger Fettuccine that my Chief Food Taster really liked.  I will post that one to the site as soon as I have a chance to work thru it and come up with a final draft.  You can find more info on Pappardelle’s by following this link.  I really liked the product, and I look forward to getting creative with a few other products in their line.

I really recommend that you go to 4 Oak and check it out. Give yourself some time to enjoy the experience, taking some time to talk with Judy about all of the wonderful products that they offer.  Don’t be shy to dive in and do some tastings, experiencing the varieties of products and the way that you can mix and match oils with vinegars.  This is a great shop, and really worth our support to make sure that not only it does well, but others may bring different gourmet shops to Kamloops after seeing 4 Oaks success here.

My thanks to Judy for all her help, and I hope to see you there!

• Here is the recipe I have created with the the Pappardelle’s Lemon Ginger Fettuccine available at 4 Oaks