7 Tasty Turkey Options for Thanksgiving in Calgary

When it comes to the big day of thanks, not just any turkey will do. Sure, you can buy a frozen bird at any supermarket, but the discerning foodie knows that fresh, free-range and organic birds rule the roost. Here's a look at where to score the seven best gobblers in Calgary.

Calgary's favourite butcher has been offering free-range turkeys during the holiday season for decades. Warning, a stop here will tempt you to pick up other essentials, such as their famous handmade meat pies and perhaps a deep-dish pie or two.

From Regina's to Hutterite to Ray Henry (the honey guy), this authentic farmers market has several suppliers offering fresh, free-range birds. Open Friday to Sunday, stop by to pick up all the necessary fixings including fruits and veggies direct from the Okanagan.

Get a grain-fed Belwood turkey at any of their Calgary locations, or go easy on yourself and ask them to cook and carve the bird for you. Savoury sides such as seven grain salad and roasted fingerling potatoes will round out your meal nicely. And for an additional $8, they'll deliver city-wide.

You'll find the freshest birds in the city at this top quality butcher with two Calgary locations. Hutterite birds from a colony near Pincher Creek will be ready for pick up the Thursday before Thanksgiving for those who've pre-ordered.

Calgarians have been tucking into Bowden chicken for some time now, but this farm also raises turkeys—available for pick up at the Bearspaw Farmer's Market.

Just because you're headed to the mountains doesn't mean you're stuck with freezer-burned fowl. Canmore's pre-eminent European deli supplies free-range, organic and barley-fed turkeys, plus their fan favourite: Turduken. This favourite of George Washington is a boneless chicken, within a boneless duck, within a whole boneless turkey.

This farm raises turkeys that are free-range, organically grown and raised humanely. Buy direct from their farm 30 km east of Calgary or pick one up at several Calgary locations.