Our Story
Ben and Lenie van Soest came to Canada in 1950 via boat from Holland. They settled in Jasper Place, Alberta (later to become a part of Edmonton). Ben was a meat cutter by trade and worked for Canada Packers until October of 1953, when he then opened his own meat shop. He specialized in cutting meat the European way. In 1956, a new building was erected in the same location. The business continues to operate in this building today.
Growth
In 1969, Ben’s son-in-law, Pieter van Leeuwen, started working for him as a meat cutter. After working for Ben for seven years, Pieter and his wife Erica bought the store from Ben in 1976. Pieter and Erica successfully ran and expanded the business to include Dutch imports.
In 1986, Pieter and Erica’s son, David, started working part-time in the store, helping out with cleaning and other odd jobs. David’s interest in the meat business grew and he took a meat cutting course at NAIT, graduating in May of 1992. In October of 1999, David and his wife Brenda bought the store from Pieter and Erica.
Legacy
In 2007, Dave and Brenda purchased the building and expanded the business from 1400 square feet to 3600 square feet, occupying both bays of the original building. With expansion came more space and more product. In the spring of 2011, the store underwent more renovations. New deli cases and counters were put in replacing the original show cases put in by Dave’s grandfather, Ben, in 1956. While the new cases are great, Dave is a little sad to see a piece of history go.
Dave and Brenda continue to operate this third generation family business today with the fourth generation, their daughter Kayla (and her husband Mike) and son Ben! The business continues to grow and thrive thanks to its loyal customers and fantastic staff.
“Hey everyone! We’re thrilled to share that Ben’s Gluten Free Cafe is open! You’ll find us at 10516 184 Street, Edmonton, Alberta. We’re excited to share the space with Ben’s Meats and Deli, so it’ll be the perfect one-stop shop for all your essentials. Thanks for your support, and we hope you enjoy our new cafe!”
