A Perogy for Every Palate

Veronica's Gourmet Perogies takes a traditional food and runs with it. The shop promises "an abundance of unique flavours that put a spin on a traditional perogy," from Pizza Perogies to Turkey Dinner Perogies, alongside classics like potato and cheese and a line of dessert perogies.

Plant-based eaters are covered too. As the website puts it, "Being a vegan or a non-vegan, there is a perogy for you." The shop also rotates featured and limited-edition flavours, which it announces on its website.

For dessert, there are blueberry and apple cinnamon perogies. The shop suggests boiling them for five minutes, pan frying them in butter, and serving them with fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream.

Grandmother's Dough

Ask what makes them different and the website points past the fillings to the dough, which comes from "Veronica's grandmother's secret recipe" and, the shop says, is what makes the perogies "so tender and addicting." The perogies are hand pinched, and Veronica buys ingredients from local farms and businesses wherever she can. The shop is also a member of Buy BC.

Cooking them is simple. The shop's instructions are to drop the frozen perogies into boiling water, cook for five to seven minutes or until they float, then pan fry them in butter, with onion and bacon optional.

Kindness and Community

The website describes Veronica as someone who "makes a point of giving back," supporting local programs and charities such as Acts of Kindness, Happy Herd Animal Sanctuary, and Cops for Cancer. She credits her success to two principles: work hard and be kind to others.

Schools, teams, and clubs can also sell the perogies as a fundraiser. The shop personalizes order forms with the group's logo, individually freezes and packages each order with the organization's name, and offers regular, whole wheat, and vegan perogies, with the group earning 15 per cent on each order, or about $1 a dozen.

You don't have to drive to Aldergrove to find them, either. The shop lists retailers including Ralph's Farm Market and Well Seasoned in Langley, Bonetti Meats and JD Turkey Farm in Aldergrove, and Hansel Deli in Cloverdale, plus stores as far afield as Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, and Kelowna.

What Customers Say

Veronica's holds a 4.8-star Google rating across more than 270 reviews, and many reviewers call these the best perogies they have had. Russian garlic, taco, jalapeño, and potato and cheese come up again and again as favourites, and one reviewer wrote that "the dough is next level delicious." Another, who made a special trip, said "you can really tell everything is made with care and love," and one noted that toppings such as sour cream, onions, and farmer's sausage are sold right there to take home.

Reviewers also mention borscht, cabbage rolls, and sausage. On Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the shop offers a hot takeout lunch of potato and cheese or deluxe perogies with sour cream and green onions, and you can call ahead or pre-order online. One celiac reviewer described the shop making gluten-free perogies in a fully cleaned kitchen for weekend pickup, so ask the shop directly about current gluten-free availability.

Visit

Veronica's Gourmet Perogies is at 2989 272 Street in Aldergrove. Its website lists hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays, though Google shows the shop open daily, so call (604) 856-0007 to confirm.

You can also order online through veronicasperogies.com.