Manitoba grocer Benco Foods opens in Steinbach

Manitoba-owned Benco Foods opened a new location in Steinbach in mid-January and some of the grocer’s specialties are selling organic produce, fruit by the case, and Benco brand organic grain and milled flour.

“Our goal is to have everyday groceries and bulk staples at a price that makes sense,” said general manger Alex Robertson.

The 28,800 sq.ft. building has 10,000 sq.ft. of retail space and is located where Peavey Mart used to be at 41 Loewen Blvd. in Steinbach.

Peavey Mart closed in February 2025, less than a year after it opened, filing for creditor protection closing all of its 90 stores cross Canada.

What started as a teenager selling organic potatoes from his family’s farm for owner Benjamin Unrau, grew into two store fronts under the Benco Foods banner: the first in MacGregor in 2019 and now in Steinbach. Benco also owns a flour mill in Rossendale.

Unrau said he never really took intentional steps to upscale his business into Steinbach rather it was something that evolved.

“We just kind of grew into it and we’re still growing,” he said, noting the amount of sales he was getting in Steinbach over two years showed him that a store would be feasible.

Unrau didn’t advertise his business in the beginning, rather relying on word of mouth to promote it, a practice that he still employs today. Social media is proof of that, with customers in Steinbach singing the praises of the store since it opened and sharing information about it, something Unrau said he is enjoying.

Another key part of Unrau’s success is the use of WhatsApp to connect with customers through group texting.

“It was the easiest thing (to get into to) to tell the truth. I was selling to colonies, Hutterite Colonies, and they wouldn’t talk to me unless I had WhatsApp,” he said with a laugh.

Benco tries to buy local when it can and usually organic. It’s potatoes, onions, grain, and flour are all local and organic.

“We try and grow things that we can and source from local where we can and have sustainable, good quality produce for our consumers,” said Robertson.

Unrau said he buys his fruit mainly from a single producer in British Columbia, which gives him greater quality and price control.

“We can shop around and see which farm is the best quality. We mainly work with one producer who’s really good at telling us what he’s got. If the quality’s no good, he’ll tell us and then we don’t have to buy. We really appreciate that one grower,” he said.

“If we need something cheaper or whatever, we can shop around. There’s some others (growers) that are pretty good, too, but it’s always trade-off, price and quality.”

Benco’s biggest sellers are its fruit, especially its apples, which are on the larger size, accordito Robertson. They sell for $1.50 a pound or $48 a case. Oranges are also a big seller going for $2 a pound, $65 a case.

“One thing we have that the customers have loved in the past and helped us open is – especially in the summer – we’re going to have all the black cherries, peaches, nectarines, watermelons, all that sort of stuff, which lots of stores don’t carry by the case anymore,” said Robertson.

Another specialty of Benco Foods is it grows, sells, and mills its own organic rye, spelt, and wheat. Unrau said growing up on an organic farm he found it “intriguing” the way that he could get the produce from the field to the table.

“And I guess, really, I think eating healthy should be affordable. That’s what we’re trying to make it happen,” he said.

He said he tries to be “competitive either in price or in product size” when it comes to his merchandise.

“A lot of our products are organic or specialty products, and those might not be cheaper than some. They might be a premium price, but if it’s the same (product) as everybody else, I want it at a good price.”

The store is currently open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it is looking at extending its hours into the evenings and on Saturdays once management hires more staff.

“I think just one of the things that we’re trying to do is have friendly quality service and service where you can know us on a first-name basis and come to trust the brands that we carry,” said Robertson.