SPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE: This Sunday at the Port Moody Farmers Market, BobAli will be offering a special deal just for you! Stop by their stand and ask for the spotlight deal which will be on all their products. 1 for $5 or 3 for $12. Make sure to get as many of their delicious items as you can!
BobAli’s Hummus, Pesto and Tapenades are famous for their freshness and amazing flavour. Their homemade hummus, pesto and tapenade are often the talk of the market and we got to chat with them to find out more!
Q: BobAli, where does the name root from?
We had no idea what to do for our business name when we started so we went with ‘Bob’ – my dad and ‘Ali’ is my partners dad.
Q: What do you love most about bringing ‘BobAli’ to farmers markets?
I love making a fresh product and bringing it to the market the next day for customers to be able to take home and enjoy. It’s also a great environment to test out new flavour combinations.
Q: What are your most popular products?
The Dips that pack a bit of heat, Thai Green Coconut Curry Hummus and the Miso, Sesame & Horseradish Hummus
Q: Out of all that you create, what if your personal favorite?
Curried Carrot, Orange & Ginger Hummus, it’s like a soup in a hummus!
Q: Other than as a dip, what do you hear your customers using your products for?
I have one customer in Port Moody that likes to freeze the hummus in ice cube trays and then pop them into a soup for some extra flavour. Otherwise most customers like to use them as sandwich spreads, salad dressings and even just as a sauce to go with whatever they’re eating.
Thank you to everyone who played along in this week’s Facebook & Instagram giveaway for a chance to win a $10 credit to the Port Moody Farmers Market. This weeks winner is Charmaine Francis (charmaingail) via instagram. Congratulations and please send an e-mail to admin@makebakegrow.com to claim your prize. Another giveaway will go live on Monday, so make sure you are following us on FB and Instagram for your next chance to win!
One of the most simple and delicious pleasures in life is homemade bread. A Bread Affairtakes it to the next level with their love of baking as well as their natural and organic ingredients. We had a chance to chat with them and find out a little more about this bread affair.
Q. Is there honestly any better smell than that of freshly baked bread?
Nothing unless I also have a cup of coffee in my hands.
Q. What do you love the most about bringing ‘A Bread Affair’ to farmers markets?
My wonderful customers that I get to see every week.
Q. What are your most popular breads?
Our Love At First Bite, Threes Company and Apple of My Eye
Q. What makes ‘A Bread Affair’ different than the rest?
We are Certified Organic which means we are 100% GMO Free and our breads take two days to make because we use natural cultures in all of our breads. In fact, most of our breads are vegan-friendly. Every single loaf of bread we bring to the farmers market is baked just a few hours before. And they are all made with love.
We are also the only bakery that purchases local ingredients for a large part of the bread that we make. For example, the Love at First Bite is made using Pitt Meadow blueberries, Hazelnuts from Bradner and sprouted wheat from Agassiz.
Q. What is your favorite bread?
The Wild Thing, which I eat toasted in the morning with peanut butter.
Thank you to everyone who played along in this week’s Facebook & Instagram giveaway for a chance to win a $10 credit to the Port Moody Farmers Market. This weeks winner is Apommygirl via instagram. Congratulations and please send an e-mail to admin@makebakegrow.com to claim your prize. Another giveaway will go live on Monday, so make sure you are following us on FB and Instagram for your next chance to win!
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE this Sunday at the Port Moody Farmers Market, make sure to stop by Cravings Kettle Corn because they have a special deal for you. If you buy one bag of their kettle corn, you will get a second bag for FREE! All you have to do is stop by their stand and let them know you want the Spotlight Deal or show them this feature on your phone.
The name says it all, Cravings Kettle Corn. If you have a craving, then this delicious kettle corn will definitely curb it. What is even better is the story of success behind this timeless snack, that of Michael Kozak, a young entrepreneur who worked hard to taste success. Q. How did Cravings Kettle Corn get started?
I have been a candy chef for almost 10 years and I was working at an established candy shop learning how to make chocolate, fudge, caramel brittle, caramel corn, candy apples, and lots of other delicious specialties. I soon became a manager and I was very ambitious so I looked to take my skills elsewhere. In March 2011 I met a kettle corn owner who was selling his kettle corn equipment, I worked hard to see if this was something I was willing to pursue as a career, and 6 months later I bought the kettle corn equipment. I came up with the name “Cravings” because it really speaks to people that crave great candy.
Q. Why do you think it is so popular, besides being so delicious?
The kettle corn is so popular because most people like popcorn and it’s one of the great snacks that you have known your whole life. What makes our company special is that we offer a twist on the original popcorn and add dimensions of flavor to satisfy your taste buds. Plain popcorn is a whole grain, high in vitamins and fiber, and gluten free. Now we add a little bit of sugar and salt to the mix and give this great naturally delicious snack the flavor that it deserves.
Q. How many flavours do you carry and what are the favourites?
Most of the time we carry 2-4 types of kettle corn and caramel corn, I have made hundreds of flavors. Everyone loves the Sweet and Salty kettle corn so now we are calling it Classic Kettle Corn. We also make any color and flavor of kettle corn from Maple to Strawberry and Lime Kettle Corn. Caramel popcorn has more options for creating great recipes, because of the rich and creamy caramel, we can add much more depth to the flavors. Our best seller is salted vanilla bean caramel corn. The most popular specialty flavor is Dark & Stormy Caramel Corn and that’s the rich caramel made with dark rum, Indian Ginger, and Lime powder. We really do aim Satisfy Your Cravings!
Q. You started at the Coquitlam Farmers Market and now your business has grown immensely! Why do you think farmers markets are so important?
We were still committed to staying true to our roots with being at 5 farmers markets per week. We choose farmers markets since we like the great community. All the vendors, that we see every week, are almost like family and we feel such a generous and heart felt welcome at all the markets. We all work together to have a great year! It’s so nice to see everyone come out to the markets, especially the return customers that we get to know. One of the best feelings is watching young children often starting out their market experience in strollers or in their parents’ arms, and every year we see them grow up. Kettle corn is one of the first snacks that kids love and we’re honored to make your lives super happy when you little one is mowing down a bag of classic kettle corn.
Q. Where do you sell Cravings Kettle Corn and what is the response when people see you there?
We love to have our company at big festivals and concerts, it’s a very exciting experience to be apart of the show business and feel the energy of thousands of people having a great time, and Cravings Kettle Corn makes the experience even better. People are so excited to see us and have an awesome snack while watching their favorite bands. Often there are line ups and people can’t get enough!
Q. You are a young entrepreneur, where do you see yourself and your kettle corn business in 5 years?
I started Cravings Kettle Corn when I was 21 years old and now going into my 4th full year I feel like I am graduating from entrepreneurship. I understand business now and I feel as though my success has been a direct reflection of my hard work and dedication. To make this company successful I have to believe in myself and to make difficult decisions. I work well under pressure and always come through no matter the obstacle in regards to my career and personal life. I will continue to have this company because it is so rewarding and entirely fulfilling but I imagine in the near future I will be looking into more opportunities in owning more businesses.
Thank you to everyone who played along in this week’s Facebook & Instagram giveaway for a chance to win a $10 credit to the Port Moody Farmers Market. This weeks winner is Patricia Mounsey. Congratulations and please send an e-mail to admin@makebakegrow.com to claim your prize. Another giveaway will go live on Monday, so come back and play along for your next chance to win!
Gesundheit mean good health or wellness, the perfect name for a local, family owned bakery that makes all its baked goods from the finest ingredients and use no sugar, oil or preservatives. Andreas and Katherine Miller along with their four children have been proudly running Gesundheit Bakery since 2005. People stop by the farmers markets to pick up their freshly baked goods that are made daily, by hand. We had a chance to chat with them to find out more about this special bakery.
Q. Baking without sugar, oils, or preservatives, it must have it’s difficulties. Why do you choose to do this? We make all of our products fresh each day. The fact that we don’t use any oil, sugar or preservatives is just part of the reason we are in business in the first place. Our goal has always been to make a product that is fresh, tasty and healthier than a lot of baked goods on the market today. We live in a time when so much of the food we eat is full of additives, sugars and fats that are just not good for us. Our products are made by hand in the old European tradition where there is no need for all the added stuff. There are no difficulties with our process, just simple ingredients used by real people to make quality products.
Q. What are customers first reactions when they try your bread and find out it’s make without sugar, oils and preservatives? We have a lot of people ask us each year about how it is possible to make bread without oils, sugar or preservatives. Having grown up in a European bakery, my question would be: Why is it necessary to add all this extra stuff
Q. It’s obvious you both have a passion for baking, what is it that pulled you in? My passion for baking started at an early age. Back in Germany in the late 70’s and early 80’s (when I was a young kid), my Dad was very heavily into farmers markets, selling baked goods and I have very fond memories of that time. When we immigrated to Canada in 83′ it was only a couple of years until my dad started his first bakery here in the little town of Lac La Hache. With the exception of only a few years, baking has been my passion ever since.
Q. Tell us your family favorites; what you sell could you not live without in your families? Family favorites? Well, my wife Katherine grew up in Mission BC, so her favorites are the more traditional breads that most people who grew up here are used to. As for me, my absolute favourite bread that we make is our Whole Grain Bread. I like to refer to this one as the brick. Our family enjoys a variety of the breads we make. When it comes to bread, sometimes it all depends on what you are going to have with it. If we are having Spinach Dip for example, we just must have the Double Baked Swiss Bread. If we are going to be having something for toast with butter and jam, we might look at the Light or Medium Rye Breads
Q. Why do you do most of your business through farmers markets? Farmers Markets allow us to put our products into the hands of the end consumer. We can answer questions and even make recommendations. Attending the Farmers Markets is the most enjoyable part of our business to me in terms of promoting our products.
Q. What is the five-year plan for Gesundheit Bakery? Gesundheit Bakery will continue to make the best products we can. Our commitment to make our products from scratch using only simple Canadian ingredients has a few challenges to it. We live in a time where most of the food we consume is made in mass quantities in large facilities and in most cases more by machine that by people. Over the next 5 to 10 years and beyond, we will make sure that we stay true to the commitment we made right from the beginning. Make a great tasting product with simple ingredients.
Thank you to everyone who played along in this week’s Instagram giveaway for a chance to win a $10 credit to the Port Moody Farmers Market. This weeks winner is Alyeasha. Congratulations and please send an e-mail to admin@makebakegrow.com to claim your prize. Another giveaway will go live on our Instagram account starting Monday, come back and play along for your next chance at winning!
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