Where does your love of crepes come from, and how did you hone your skills?
I honed my skills apprenticing with a crepe vendor in Toronto who learned from the real deal in Paris. Crepes are an aesthetically pleasing food AND the range of contents is unlimited!
Where do you get the inspiration for your flavours?
My own sense of taste, imagination and trial and error guide me, and I find inspiration from cookbooks and other recipes, too.
What are your favourite types of food to cook at home?
My favourite types of foods to cook at home are mostly simple, organic plant based fare. e.g. incredible salads with nuts and olives, squash with slow roasted ginger tomatoes, pastas with the best olive oil and fresh herbs.
What do you like most about selling at farmers markets?
I love interacting with people, meeting new people, and seeing returning customers. I like people! (and being outside- except on very rainy cold days)
Why is supporting local important to you?
It is very important to me because it represents my values of organic, local, and it tastes better! Trading at a market brings me back to what feels like “right economics” and because I know how hard small farmers work.
How large are your orchards, and how many varieties of apples do you grow?
We have a 10-acre property that holds a four-acre Certified Organic Orchard nestled in the Saanich Peninsula on southern Vancouver Island. We currently have 1500 apple trees that produce 50+ heritage
varietals. We also lease an orchard in the Similkameen Valley – a region known for growing high-quality, organic produce.
How do cider apples differ from snacking or baking apples?
Any apple can be used to make cider, but the types of apples used will drastically affect the taste of the cider. We choose to use traditional heirloom varietals because of the low sugar, and high tannins, which helps to impart complexity to the cider. Cider apples are traditionally known as ‘spitters’, this is because once you take a bite, you just want to spit it out!
How many varieties of cider do you sell? How often do you introduce new flavours, and where does the inspiration come from for new creations?
We produce 15 sparkling ciders throughout the year and 3 fortified ciders. We produce our “core four” – Bramble Bubbly, Kings & Spies, Pippins and Rumrunner – multiple times a year and 11 ciders on a seasonal basis. We produce four different series of ciders and they are the inspiration for the ciders within the series: Heirloom Series, Canadian Invasion Series, Barrel Series and Sticky Series – each providing the inspiration for the ciders from traditional cider-making methods and what is seasonally available.
What do you like most about selling at farmers markets?
We like to participate in farmers markets to help support local growers and to bring awareness to the craft cider community. We believe that cider is for celebrating and is worth celebrating and we want to be able to share that mindset with our community!
Why is supporting local important to you?
Supporting our community and the support we have received from our community has been fundamental to our success. We crowd source thousands of apples each year from local farmers and these farmers have a big part in helping us produce our award winning ciders.
Where do you prepare your sauces? What is your production process like?
Our sauces are prepared in our home kitchen. Making this sauce does take time and a lot of man power…thank goodness for my 3 sons helping out! We follow the same traditional preparation steps that our grandmothers have done, with a slight tweak in the use of modern equipment. We definitely make our sauce with lots and lots of love and tears…tears of joy when the production is finished!
What are some unusual uses for peanut sauce that some people may not know about?
Baking is one use that surprises our customers, but we encourage them to be creative and try adding the sauce to recipes that call for peanut butter. We just love the feedback from them! One customer uses our sauce to blend in her smoothies instead of protein powder. Another uniqueness of our sauce is that it can be eaten wet or dry. One of my sons scoops some right out of the bag and crumbles it over his granola, cereal, or rice while another sprinkles it over his chocolate ice cream, or dips his strawberries into. Sounds like pregnancy indulgences, but don’t knock it till you try it! I used it for a salmon poke dish just recently, it was another successful creation of mind blowing taste
What are your favorite types of food to cook at home?
Indonesian, Chinese and pretty much everything. I love cooking globally.
What do you like most about selling at farmers markets?
The interaction with customers have been phenomenal! Besides introducing a new product, it also gives us a chance to share stories and educate the public about our Indonesian culture. It has been wonderful to share our product, and we hope it enhances the markets and provides a variety of products in each community.
Why is supporting local important to you?
Talented and hard working individuals who tirelessly provide for the community, as much as they provide for their families, should be supported for their livelihood. Markets bring a community closer, while encouraging and educating the public to choose healthier alternatives and appreciate each vendor’s speciality that you usually can’t find commercially. As well, supporting local is good for our local economy, and to keeps growth inside a community.
Everyone’s talking about Ca Croustille’s delicious croissants! If you haven’t picked up one of their fabulous creations, find them at the Market soon! In the meantime, learn more about them here:
Where does your love of croissants and pastries come from, and how did you hone your skills?
My love for baking came from my background – I am born and raised in France, and of course bakery has a big place in our life. When I was in grade 6, my school teacher had us do one week immersed in a profession to prepare us for adult life. I ended up in my neighborhood bakery and the week that I spent there was amazing. The team was really friendly, and of course I enjoyed the baking! So when I was 16, I start working in the bakery. I took courses and I had my 1st baking diploma in 2008 and my second in 2010. In France there is a difference between the breadmaker and a pastry chef, so my first seven years as a baker I was only a bread maker. I started traveling and felt like I was missing something – pastry skills! So I came back to France, took pastry classes and received two diplomas in pastry. In 2015, I got a call from a bakery in Vancouver who wanted to hire me. I secured a visa, and here I am! I worked two and half years at the bakery, and then started Ca Croustille with Sebastien.
What is your production process like? Where do you source your ingredients?
As a baker, we have to live the baker life, and that means that all the production is done at night. The product proofs overnight, and is baked early in the morning. Our main supplier provides all of our ingredients, which is very convenient! But, I also love buying products from farmers markets such as jam, eggs, or apple butter.
What are your favorite types of food to cook at home?
Since I’ve been selling at farmers markets, I have been enjoying the fresh products to use in my home cooking! I love cooking at home and mostly cook French dishes, such as vegetables, pies, soups, and gratin!
What do you like most about selling at farmers markets?
I love doing farmers markets! I feel I am a part of a community and enjoy the person to person interaction.
Why is supporting local important to you?
It’s important to know what’s on your plate, how your product is made, and to be sure that your food is not processed – it’s your body after all!! Farmers Markets are an important way to decrease your carbon footprint, too!
We’re thrilled to have a water kefir vendor at our Markets! If you haven’t visited Lyndsay Scott and Culture Kefir, you need to soon! In the meantime, read more about her and her products in this Vendor Spotlight.
When did you first discover water kefir?
I discovered kefir 2 years ago when looking for a natural probiotic for my family. We had been constantly sick, my youngest son was suffering from severe eczema outbreaks coupled with asthma, and my husband had significant digestive issues. Our doctors helped as best they could but we continued to struggle to manage our health. I began researching natural ways that we could improve our health and probiotics kept showing up, specifically kefir. So I reached out to a local woman for a set of starter grains and began brewing kefir at home.
What got you into making water kefir? And how did you develop your delicious flavors?
We started making milk kefir and after seeing wonderfully positive results in our health, I began making water kefir for my husband, who is allergic to milk. Soon everyone in our household preferred the water kefir and drank it daily. Through many rounds of taste testing, we developed a few flavours that our family really enjoyed – Cranberry Turmeric, Strawberry and Mango Ginger. Soon I began making water kefir for family, friends and neighbours as well. Feedback continued to pour in from people that the kefir was improving their health in numerous ways – treating digestive issues, clearing H-pylori infections, relieving eczema outbreaks, improving immune system health, etc. This was when I decided to make water kefir commercially and try to get kefir to as many people as we could.
What exactly is water kefir and how is it different than kombucha?
Water Kefir and Kombucha are both naturally fermented probiotic drinks made from culturing sweetened water with a “mother” SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeasts). From there, Water Kefir differs from Kombucha in 3 distinct ways:
-Caffeine-free: Water kefir does not brew in tea, as kombucha does
-Different Probiotics: The SCOBY of water kefir is composed of different diverse bacteria and yeasts, presenting different benefits to your health
-Mild Flavour: Water kefir fermentation produces a milder, less acidic liquid making a light palatable beverage
What do you enjoy most about selling at farmers markets?
Farmers Markets are a wonderful way to directly meet our customers, develop relationships and speak with them about the benefits of water kefir and how it may help their health. Many people are unfamiliar with water kefir, or that a non-dairy probiotic option exists. Farmers Markets give us a chance to answer questions, provide taste tests, and understand what people are looking for to benefit their health so we can provide a convenient, delicious healthy beverage that they will love.
Why is supporting local important to you?
Local economies are the back bone of our communities. Supporting local makers means helping grow grassroots businesses of our neighbours and friends and seeing success and financial stability loop right back into our home networks. We’re grateful and honored for an opportunity to help support our community through good health and good business.
What is your inspiration to create your products? How did that passion turn into a business?
My grandmother, Ela. It’s hard to put into words the endless streams of food that came out of her kitchen. Anytime that I spent in her home in Poland was in her kitchen. Nothing made me happier than to help her cook. Close second was helping in her vegetable garden where she grew so much of the ingredients she cooked with, or joining her as she visited local farms for eggs, milk and meat. She opened a big wide food-shaped door in my heart that can never be closed! More specifically, she made chicken stock daily to go into her soups. Every day, no exceptions, there was soup on the table. So naturally, my passion for soups was born!
Why is creating small batched soups important as opposed to a larger production?
For one, my suppliers are so small scale that I couldn’t cook on a massive scale even if I wanted to! When foods become mass produced, short cuts begin. It’s the small things like roasting vegetables, caramelizing onions and freshly toasting and grinding my spices that make all the difference. There is nothing more satisfying for me than the smiles on my customers faces when they taste my food, that is what I live for and why I take my time cooking my products.
What local producers do you work with to create your products?
Using meats from suppliers that treat their livestock with respect was one of the most important goals for my business. As a customer of the Coquitlam market it only made sense to use Tim and Flo’s chicken (Rockweld Farm) for my soups, broth and pot pies as it’s what I was already using in my home! There are now 3 other wonderful farmers who provide me with the meat and bones I need to create my products: Redl’s grass fed beef in my pot pies, Stony Mountain’s heritage pork bones in my ramen bone broth, and Forstbauer’s grass fed beef bones in my beef bone broth.
Why is sourcing local ingredients important for you?
Local tastes better, it’s more nutritious (long journeys on the back of a truck can degrade nutritional values of foods) and it helps stimulate our local economy! My soup flavors are definitely dictated by what is in season! When you use products that are not shipped from far away and artificially ripened you don’t need to add nearly as much salt, sugar or fats to make up for lack of flavor.
Where do you hope to see your business in the near future?
I would like to see us continuing to work with small businesses, be it new farmers and producers, or small cafes and independent grocers!
How did Sons of Vancouver begin? Where did the inspiration for the business as a whole come from and how was your name developed?
Richard Klaus and Myself are the Owners of Sons of Vancouver. We previously bartended and as a hobby, brewed beer together. Over time we found ourselves drinking and making delicious beer but serving the same cocktails over and over. We saw the opportunity in its infancy and jumped on it. Sons of Vancouver is a name we felt would travel well and was something cool we could get behind.
In your opinion, what are the differences in artisanal distilleries versus larger scale distilleries?*
Innovation. Rarely do you see a large distillery release a new product that isn’t just an ‘Apple’ or ‘Cinnamon’ variant of its current product line. Large distilleries are stuck in the same process for many reasons, but it mainly comes down to the people making the products are not the ones dreaming them up.
How was your distillery school brought to life? How has what is offered developed, and where do you see it going in the future?
We had enough people asking us how we got started and if they could come in and train with us. Additionally it was selfish – I want to see a lot more variety in spirits out of BC so we push people to branch out from Vodkas.
What process do you go through to pair the names of your spirits with label designs?
The hardest part is knowing what you want a product to taste like before you start out making it. From there we have a list of cool names, some of them may never see the light of day, and we try to pair them with the product and build a brand and market off that.
Why is it important for you to have free samples in your tasting room? What can customers expect when they visit?
Free samples are such a small thing but its important because its approachable to everyone. We could charge for samples, but it’s the little things that make an experience memorable and make a customer want to come back again with a friend.
Is there anything about your company or products that you would want customers to know?
I would like to say that there are only three of us that work in the company and if you run into us at a farmers market don’t hesitate to chat us up. Everyone who you see at the markets works in the distillery and we are full of cocktail ideas. Additionally, Richard is an incredible dancer and you can find him every Thursday at the German Club on Victoria and 33rd dancing up a storm.
What initially inspired you to create chocolate? How did this turn intoa business?
Rather than an “initial” inspiration, I think my journey of creating chocolate began with a combination of factors. I had, for a long time, made chocolate confections for events and gifts and an offhand comment sent me down a rabbit hole of learning about the process of making chocolate from beans. I was also inspired to make my own chocolate as I learned more about the conditions under which much of the “commodity” chocolate is grown and sourced. I started by just seeing if making chocolate was actually something I could do and then the flavours of the beans themselves kept inspiring me to make more. Meanwhile, friends who had begun a bakery inspired me from the entrepreneurial side. At the time, I was living in a small town in north-central BC, which was a pretty great place to start thinking about how to craft chocolate and to experiment in a fairly low-risk way. My good friends shared their commercial kitchen with me and I had great support at home to be able to take this chance. It really became a business through the encouragement of friends and by blindly taking a leap. It was not a very structured business venture.
How do you decide where to source your cocoa? What sort of conversations do you have with producers or checks that you go through toensure the quality of the product?
Part of the sourcing was access from where I was living. I found a great company that works with farmers and fermentaries that shared my principles with regards to social values and sustainability. I researched the farms where my supplier sources their beans and they have provided me with certification as well as information about the people and the cacao produced. Someday, though, I do hope to be able to go and meet some of the producers. I have also purchased beans from East Van Roasters in Vancouver, who also deal directly with farmers in Peru. EVR also makes delicious chocolate and works with women in the Downtown Eastside, so chocolate lovers should also check them out!
How do you design your beautiful and intricate packaging?
When I was thinking about packaging, I knew I wanted something that would also be beautiful. I am half Japanese and we have a strong culture of gifting on the Japanese side. With my chocolate, I wanted to make something that you could easily buy and gift if you were, say, just going to a friend’s for coffee. Everywhere you go in Japan, almost whatever you buy can be wrapped quickly and beautifully for this purpose. While I was thinking about the chocolate business, we came across an old cache of chiyogami paper from when I was younger. That just inspired me to use the paper and then I found a company in Toronto that imports the handmade Japanese paper I use today.
What sets your chocolate apart from others? What impressions do youhope to leave customers with?
I focus on single origin chocolates and making flavour combinations that compliment or bring out the flavour of the cacao. The beans are all fine flavour cacao that is harvested fairly and sustainably. The chocolate is made in small batches with care in each one. I hope people leave still thinking about their chocolate, appreciating chocolate like they do other fine food and wanting to share their experience by gifting it to others. I call the chocolate “Cocoaro” which is a pun of the Japanese “Kokoro”, which means “heart” or “spirit”, and from the farmers to my customers, Cocoaro is chocolate with good heart.
Where do you hope to see Cocoaro Craft Chocolate in the near future?Are you looking to create any new products?
I am definitely looking to create new products! I am also looking to bring back some of the bars I had been making up north, including different percentages and inclusion bars (bars with things like salt or coconut added). I really like experimenting and exploring flavour combinations and also started producing limited run confections, that I plan to do again. I have only just been getting settled into the new environment down here, so I look forward to getting back into that side of things. I also look forward to continuing to explore new beans with my suppliers. In terms of the business side, in the near future, I just hope to develop a strong foundation and look forward to exploring the possibilities.
What are some things your would like your customers to know about youor your business?
I think I’d really like customers to know the values that I and the business stand for, which is sustainability in our food production and consumption; fair treatment for everyone, which means good working conditions for producers and paying a fair price for food and labour as well as respecting and appreciating customers. Where possible I also source organic and local ingredients. I am also super happy if people just come by the market table to learn more about chocolate! I love making, sharing, learning about and consuming good, real food.
1. How did your trips to India inspire you to create your own malas and now silver and gemstone pieces? How did this passion move towards creating a business?
Divine East was founded after a sisters’ trip to India in 2015. Surrounded by gemstones and mala beads, we studied with a Guru in the foothills of the Himalayas the healing properties of gemstones, meditation with mala beads and the power of mantras and intention-setting. Upon our return home, we found friends and family had an increasing interest and curiosity in the malas we were wearing and meditating with. Sharing our passion for mala beads and meditation, we saw an opportunity to impact on a larger scale. Recognizing the potential we had to inspire others, we knew starting Divine East was along our Dharmic path.
2. How have you developed your relationships with locals in India? How do you source and ensure the quality of your materials?
We met the man we currently source our materials from after strolling into his shop in Rishikesh; he was recommended to us from a friend we met there. We instantly had a connection with him, beyond a business relationship, and knew we had just developed a life-long friendship. He spent hours with us going through the healing energy of each piece, and was patient with us while we chose our first malas. We stayed in touch with him after leaving India, and once the idea of creating Divine East began to churn, we trusted the quality of his gemstones and materials. He sources his gemstones from a gemstone factory in Jaipur; we were lucky enough to return to India in 2016 and 2017, and actually visit the factory where the raw gemstones are hand cut, polished and faceted. It was an incredible experience and really authenticated the high quality gemstones we use, as well as the ethical production of them.
3. What inspires your collections? Does life at home inspire you or just your time in India?
Inspiration comes from so many facets of our lives, often when we aren’t searching for it. Many design ideas and concepts have come to us in meditations and visualizations. Others have been born out of what intention we are seeking more of in our personal lives; it could be abundance, grounding, positivity, protection, the list goes on. We also love hearing feedback from our community about what they are wanting more of in their life.
4. What are the most important qualities in your pieces? What do you want customers to feel or know when they are wearing your pieces?
Each mala necklace has 108 beads with 1 guru bead. Malas allow the user or wearer to keep count of their mantra recitation, repeating a mantra 108 times. There are many sacred meanings for the number 108; it is said that in order to manifest an intention, it must be said at least 100 times repeatedly (the extra 8 leave room for error). Each gemstone has a different metaphysical healing property; if you are drawn to a certain gemstone, it often holds an intention you are subconsciously asking yourself to work on, pay more attention to or bring into your life. The color of a gemstone is also associated with the chakras, one of the 7 energy centers in the body. Black or red gemstones are associated with the root chakra; this is your first chakra, your foundation, safety and security. Explore more about gemstones and chakras here.
5. Can you describe your relationship with your Divine Ambassadors? Why are these relationships important or valuable?
This year, we really wanted to focus on the power of community. There are so many amazing wellness leaders in Vancouver and California that impact their communities in a positive way. The intention behind Divine Ambassadors was to connect with those who have directly inspired the two of us, to share our story and how they have influenced our journey. These leaders are influencers in their own community, they inspire those around them and connect with them authentically and whole-heartedly. They have a passion for sharing their learnings and the curiosity and desire to always be a student. We have done many collaborations with our Divine Ambassadors to share one another’s stories, elevator our brands and make a positive impact in our communities. We have done collaborative events, made custom pieces for their retreats or yoga teacher trainings and continuously shared their stories with our community. When we uplift one another, we all shine.
6. Where are you hoping to take Divine East in the near future? What relationships are you wanting to build on or create? How do you want to evolve your collections?
Thats a great question, and one we are continuously asking ourselves. Divine East absolutely deserves more time that we currently give it, as we both have full-time careers that we love. Divine East is a passion project and our greatest desire is to inspire and educate others to recognize the power of their mind, of setting intentions, of meditation and of silence. We will always be community facing, thats one of the things that lights us up the most. Connecting with someone at an event or farmers market, sharing one another’s stories (often over laughs or tears) is the purest and most authentic form of connection, and having someone leave the interaction with a piece that will support them in being better in some way is the most rewarding gift.
7. What are some things your customers may not know about you both or company?
We continue to travel to both India and Bali each year to maintain the relationships we have built with our suppliers. Two years ago, we went back to India for one of their weddings. Friendships flourished into business relationships, but authentic connection is at the heart of that and as such, at the heart of Divine East. While we are a Vancouver-based company, one of the sisters (Danelle) has lived in the USA for the past 10 years, so she is also connecting with our community down South!
“It is our aim to ALWAYS put your pets first. If we offer the best products in the market, it is our belief that profit will follow suit.”
(Courtesy of Earth Paws)
Earth Paws owner Kevin Lee says after years working in the pet industry working with clients and attending various trade shows he realized there is a need for premium products that are healthy for pets.
I make products with 100% natural human grade ingredients that I feed my own pets. It is my passion and goal to ensure there are healthy options for dogs and cats all across Canada. We also put in a lot of time and research into every product we bring to market. For instance, there are at least 8 other companies in BC alone that sell Dried Sardine for dogs and cats. Our big difference is that we’re the only ones in North America, that goes through a sodium extraction process because regular dried sardines contain more sodium than the recommended daily intake for many dogs and cats.
Earth Paws strives to ensure every dog and cat owner has access to the healthiest products that will hopefully improve the overall well being of their pets but are also delicious. Kevin says high quality products for pets is just as important for them as it is for us.
(Courtesy of Earth Paws)
High quality products contain less toxins and heavy metals while containing more beneficial vitamins and minerals. Dogs and cats can survive on low quality diets but at the end of the day, they are not thriving. We want to ensure that your pets stay by your side as long as possible and as healthy as possible.
All of Earth Paws products are made along side companies that make products for humans. Kevin says by doing this, they are forced to uphold their manufacturing procedures to human standards.
Right now, there is a huge lack of regulations in the industry which is why so many companies looking to make a quick buck jumps in offering cheap products made with low quality ingredients. Our future goal is to move into the dog/cat food business as the food our pets eat directly relates to their quality of life.
(Courtesy of Earth Paws)
A portion of Earth Paws’ proceeds are donated to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. Kevin says when starting his business, he always knew he wanted to support those in need.
Upon doing research, I found that lots of pet products businesses donated directly to the SPCA or other shelters. Although I absolutely support these organizations, I wanted our donations to help people first. When I came across Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, I knew it was the perfect fit as we could help pay for some of the training guide dogs would need to help their human companions with visual impairments.
Looking to the future, Kevin says Earth Paws will remain privately owned so that they can continue to provide the best pet products without needing to worry about investors or shareholders.
We expect to be in every major city in Canada by the end of 2019 when we will start working on our raw diets for dogs and cats.
Learn more about some of Earths Paws products:
Dried Sardine Treats for dogs and cats: Sardines are an excellent source of proteins and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which help with brain function, heart, skin and coat health. This is why so many people feed their pets dried sardines on a daily basis. However, many dried sardines contain so much sodium that it can cause sodium poisoning and even kidney failure in our pets. This is why we go through a sodium extraction process to remove sodium levels down to 0.1% so pet owners don’t need to worry about these issues.
Sweet Potato Dental Chew: Our Sweet Potato Dental Chews are made of 100% white sweet potatoes which have lower sugars and higher dietary fiber than orange ones. Unlike any of the sweet potato treats on the market, ours feels hard as rock but is actually softer than our dog’s teeth. The removes the risk of fracturing teeth when they chew and because sweet potatoes are full of dietary fiber, it is also highly digestible.
