The Purist Pantry in Rossland offers healthy foods from scratch

Convenient health foods fuel the busy, active Kootenay lifestyle

by Virginia Rasch — December 19, 2018

The two owners of The Purist Pantry are shown seated: Todd and Melinda Kopet.

Melinda and Todd Kopet are reinventing the modern home pantry with their store, The Purist Pantry. — Dogwood Photography photo

The active Kootenay lifestyle demands good fuel for the body. When Melinda and Todd Kopet left their corporate urban lives behind and landed in Rossland in 2016, they wanted to be a slice, chip and chunk of that fuelling.

Enter the Mountain Bite granola bars. These granola bars are not only healthy, yummy snacks but have neat names as well: Snow Capped Almonds, The Peanut Highway and The Need for Seeds. The bakers sell them at the local farmers market run by the Rossland Mountain Market Society.

“We are creating food that is truly nourishing to the body,” said Melinda. “Our niche is primarily focused on serving customers who are health-focused and looking to take care of their health from a holistic approach where food can really help the body to perform better.”

The success of those granola bars led to the rise of new products.

Three granola bars are shown, called Mountain Bites.

“Since then, we have launched our full line of gluten-free artisan breads and continue to develop our product line with the goals of reinventing the modern home pantry to be free of unnecessary chemicals and additives that exist in most package goods that you’ll find in grocery stores,” said Melinda.

A new storefront

This year, the couple took the next step and opened a bakery in the basement of the historic Bank of Montreal building on Washington Street in Rossland. The Purist Pantry opened in July 2018.

All their products—including crackers and pizza crusts—are organic, non-GMO, vegan and free of gluten, refined sugar, preservatives and additives. They are sold online and at cafés, coffee shops, ski resorts, hotels and backcountry lodges, as well as at health-focused grocers.

“We are excited to continue developing convenience foods that are truly healthy, nourishing and healing,” said Melinda.

“Our mission is to help people be the best version of themselves, and we believe strongly that this starts with the foods they consume. Our bodies and minds are only as good as the fuel we give them.”