Vintage Marketplace is more than a tea house
By Joan Janzen
Vintage Marketplace tells the tale of a quaint tea house on a corner lot in Kerrobert. The two-storey building at 102 Bosworth Street provides the perfect setting for the market, which opened its doors during the summer of 2022. Anna Wolfe and Lloyd Alberts are the owners, and Anna’s niece, Jessica Mitchell, is the manager.
It’s not only a tea room but serves delicious home-cooked meals and soups, ice cream, baking, and provides catering for small groups. Bria’s Treats also offers some tasty delicacies for patrons of the Vintage Market.
(L) Jessica Mitchell (manager) and Anna Wolfe (owner) enjoy chatting with one of their regular customers at The Vintage Market.
“Bria comes home on weekends and bakes up a storm. We’re very pleased we can offer her goods here,” Anna said.
Guests can make a reservation for high tea or browse amongst a wide assortment of crafts and products, as well as vintage items. You’ll find everything from candles, stoneware, hanging baskets, planters, gourmet syrup, and soaps. What was once the bank’s safe now serves as their pantry, and all their pantry items are made in Canada.
“Dirt Road Flower Company will start bringing in bouquets in late spring. We often sell out within two hours,” Anna said.
The market is a fitting setting for vintage items to be displayed since the building was constructed in 1910, at which time it housed the Canadian Bank of Commerce. It was a prefabricated Georgian Classical style building, which was then transported and assembled.
According to the Town of Kerrobert website and Canada’s Historic Places, the two lots on which the building is situated were the first to be auctioned in Kerrobert and were purchased by the bank for $2,040.00. The building housed the bank until the 1930s, after which it became the home of the Kerrobert Library.
Now the Vintage Marketplace invites its patrons into this beautiful historic building. “A lot of people love the building,” Anna said. “We have something for everyone.”
They have a tea room upstairs, where they serve high tea. They host a lot of birthday parties for little girls, and lots of kids come through their doors. But at the same time, they’re licensed and host plenty of occasions for adults.
Their location is the perfect private setting for bridal and baby showers, meetings, and family get-togethers. “It’s a happy place, bright and cheery,” Anna said. “People can shop and then come upstairs for tea or a meal.”
They have visitors who come from Kindersley, Unity, Macklin and Luseland. “We do tons of take-out orders too, and we’re licensed.” Their charcuterie boards and wine are very popular.
This summer, they plan on putting some tables outside and serving smoked chicken wings. Everything they offer their guests is freshly made and served with a smile and friendly conversation.