Toronto sandwich pop-up known for all-local ingredients finds permanent home

There's a brand-new sandwich shop coming to Toronto's Kensington Market this summer, and it has all the fixings of a new favourite.

A scientist, a rickshaw business owner, a travelling musician and a chef walk into a kitchen… it sounds like the lead-up to one bizarre punchline, but it’s actually the story of how popular Toronto sandwich pop-up Uncle Pete's Bread Co. came to be. And let's get one thing clear: its focaccia is no joke.

The company was founded by best friends Jules, Leo, Jamie, and the titular Pete when the group all landed jobs in the corporate and tech worlds and discovered that the industry was getting old for them, fast.

"We've always been cooking and making incredible meals for our close friends and family," Pete tells us.

"So one day last August, we decided to open up Uncle Pete's as an online catering and pop-up only business — while still working our corporate jobs, mind you — selling freshly-baked focaccia, amazing chocolate chip cookies and absolutely incredible sandwiches using ingredients sourced locally from Toronto businesses."

Some of those local businesses include its soon-to-be neighbours Cheese Magic and Little Italy's Grace Meat Market. They later held pop-ups at spots in the city like Dipped Donuts and Black Lab Brewing, to whom Pete attributes much of Uncle Pete's early success.

A fair share of the business's popularity can also be attributed to Uncle Pete's rosemary focaccia — Pete's own recipe — that forms the basis for its sandwiches and other bites.

Now, they're gearing up to turn the lights on at the first-ever permanent location for Uncle Pete's, setting up shop in Kensington Market next month.

The team is kicking things off relatively light, with a menu featuring just two sandwiches (naturally built on Pete’s famous rosemary focaccia) and one side, which, you may have already been able to guess, is also decidedly focaccia-centric.

Come opening day, you'll be able to sink your teeth into the O.G., which comes loaded up with whipped lemon ricotta, mortadella, prosciutto and chili crisp, or the vegetarian Pesto Pete, which features the same lemon ricotta, homemade basil pesto and thick slabs of heirloom tomato.

As for the sides, they'll be serving up Focaccia Bites and Holy Trinity Dip, which is comprised of a layer of whipped lemon ricotta, homemade pesto and a generous chili crisp floater on top.

The shop is moving into the space currently occupied by Dipped Doughnuts (don't worry, they're not going anywhere), so you'll also be able to pick up a sweet treat once you've finished demolishing your sandwich. A match made in heaven, if you ask us.

"Suffice it to say, we can't wait to show the Toronto food scene what we have up our sleeves next," Pete says.

Uncle Pete's exact opening date is still up in the air, but you can expect its doors to open at 161 Baldwin St. sometime in August.