My Main Street-Diamond Fine Foods
Diamonds are Forever
Margaret Roth and her labour of love, Diamonds Fine Foods, have been a staple in the community for more than two decades, and she — and her authentic, delicious meals — have played a major role in her customers’ lives.
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For more than 20 years, founder Margaret Roth and the team at Diamonds Fine Foods, in the heart of Thornhill, have focused on delivering fresh, healthy and delicious homemade dishes. But to Roth, it’s about more than simply feeding her clients — it’s about being part of their happiest, and saddest, occasions. When asked to recall a catering job she remembers fondly, she mentions a friend’s husband’s death. “My friend asked if I would cater the gathering following the funeral. I accepted, and with empathy and sensitivity, I crafted a menu combining traditional comfort foods with a touch of warmth and nostalgia, hoping to provide solace during a difficult time.” She received compliments from mourners, “reaffirming the food was not just nourishment, but also a balm for their grieving souls.”
Owner, Margaret Roth
This is the kind of care Roth brings to the kitchen at Diamonds Fine Foods. “Growing up in a family that immigrated from Europe, delicious homemade food was always on the table. Family get-togethers featured amazing meals. Our kitchen was abuzz with pots and pans cooking on the stove and in the oven,” she says. “I guess that’s where my passion came from.” She opened her doors in 2001 in Richmond Hill, and in 2010, she decided to relocate. “Starting over in a new area was a challenge, but word got around quickly, and we rose to the occasion,” she says with pride. From their award-winning soups and hearty salads to beautiful cakes and pastries, Diamonds is now known throughout Vaughan as the place to go for quality food and service.
After more than two decades in business, customers have continued to show up, ordering and picking up meals for everything from intimate lunches to big family dinners celebrating the Jewish high holidays. That said, Roth realized it was time to make some cosmetic enhancements to her space and update her equipment, which she says was old and failing after so many years. “With the My Main Street program, I was able to get new energy-saving fridges, I leased a beautiful new gas grill and I replaced my glass-door upright coolers,” she says, adding she also received funding from the city’s Starter Company Plus program. “My customers really love the new look.”
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Always mindful of clients’ dietary issues and ensuring she creates dishes that can be enjoyed by everyone (her personal favourites are baked schnitzel and glass noodles with crispy sauteed vegetables), Roth says she still loves researching food trends, creating recipes, “getting in the kitchen, rolling up my sleeves and cooking up a storm.” She also plans on amping up her social media and marketing efforts. But, if she had to pinpoint why she stays in the business, it’s because of her employees and clients — she treasures each one. “I love so much about what I do.”
7700 Bathurst Street, Vaughan
