On The Wild Side With: Divine East

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!

Getting To Know: Earth Paws

“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.

On The Wild Side With: Fume-eh Gourmet Foods

While on a trip to San Fransisco for the Fancy Food Show, Fume-eh Gourmet Foods owners Paula and Chris Beall fell in love with smoked olives but couldn’t find any to sell in their much beloved Port Moody store, Eden West.

After searching high and low for them so we could sell them at Eden West we gave up and bought a smoker so that we could make our own. We spent months perfecting the technique, type of smoke, brine etc and finally came up with a winning combination. We have since developed our Smoked Olive Tapenade which is outselling everything else.

Fume-eh Gourmet Foods smoked olives have brought fine dining right to the feet of customers and Paula says continuing to frequent markets is important to them as a growing company.

Developing a new brand takes a long time and staying in touch with your customers is a very important part of that. We love seeing people try our products for the first time and getting their feedback.

Paula says their olives are smoked at a low temperature with milder wood smoke to avoid bitterness in the olives. Their variety of flavours lead to a wide range of dish options.

The buttery nature of the Castelvetrano olives along with the sharpness from the smoke bring a different depth of flavour to so many different dishes. Why not add some to a Puttanesca? Or throw the tapenade on some Arctic Cod, yum! The possibilities are endless.

The name Fume-eh has more of a story than meets the eye. After a night of enjoying some wine and endless smoked olives, Paula says her and Chris creatively stumbled on the name “Fume-eh.”

Well ‘fume’ is smoke in French and ‘eh’ is of course very Canadian as our we so voila!

Inspired by all things food, Paula and Chris have plans to grow their product line over the winter season.

As for deciding what flavours we just try and try again until we are thoroughly thrilled by the end product.

After recently hiring a brand ambassador Paula says, she and Chris hope to continue to create high quality products and continue to get the word out about their company. Be sure to visit the market to keep up to date with their new products! 

Getting To Know: Mariner Brewing

(Courtesy of Mariner Brewing)

For Mariner Brewing co-founder Lauren Ang, craft beer is about exploring different flavours and trying new things.

Our mottos embody this sense of exploration and adventure. We had a concept of what we wanted our brewery to represent before we eventually came up with our name.

Inspired by both traditional ship navigators and a number of NASA space probes in the 1960’s, Lauren says incorporating stars and constellations into their logo seemed like the perfect fit.

Traditionally a Mariner is someone who navigates a ship; in the past, we used stars as a mariner’s point of reference for navigation. Mariner was also the name of a number of space probes in the 60’s that NASA sent to explore uncharted territory in space.

Lauren says the freshness of their ingredients, leads their beer to be inspired by the time of year. Drawing on everything they see smell and taste, these co-founders are inspired by everything around them.

(Courtesy of Mariner Brewing)

Berry season is upon us and we recently released a blueberry sour that used 1,000 lbs of Fraser Valley blueberries per batch. Several of our beer rotate depending on the season. This is our favourite part about being a small local brewery; we can regularly experiment with different flavours.

Partnering with the Glasfurd & Walker design team, Lauren says can designs evolve from discussions around key words, colours and eventually a description.

Our brewer and design team have a lot of conversations about the taste, look, and feel of each beer, as well as the ingredients, history, and inspiration for the beer. We’re very lucky to work with the amazing Glasfurd & Walker design team on our can labels and are always impressed with their work.

Mariner Brewing locally sources their variety of supplies, including hops, as much as they can. Lauren says they are lucky to live in a region that is good for growing hops but that they sometimes like to include special varieties.

(Courtesy of Mariner Brewing)

We are constantly impressed by the variety our local farmers are producing each year. Some special varieties of hops are only available in Germany and Oregon and we like to include some of them to have a wide range of flavours in our beers.

Mariner Brewing has more than just beer when you stop by their brewing house. Along with exploring new flavours of beer make sure you leave room for food. Most is made in house by a fantastic kitchen staff, including their Sunday brunch, served from 11 am – 3 pm. What isn’t made in house is supplied by other local businesses such as Pasta Pollo and Creekside Coffee Factory.

We also have a dog friendly Beer Garden open 4pm to dusk during the week and all day on weekends. Every Thursday we do something called and Exploratory which is a one off keg of a new beer style, this helps up figure out what types of beer people get the most excited about. So far our Strawberry Weisse has been our most popular Exploratory Batch.

With big plans for new seasonal brews, variations on old favourites and ever developing their food and beer lineup in the tasting room, be sure to keep an eye out for what’s next for Mariner Brewing!

Right now the only thing holding us back is the amount of beer we can produce and we’re expanding and adding equipment to increase that. Like the name Mariner implies, we’re never standing still. Look out for what beer and food is next!

Long Table Dinner- On The Farm With: Gabi & Jules

We are happy to announce that Gabi & Jules will be joining our Long Table Dinner once again! To get to know Owner, Lisa Beecroft’s, personal tastes and creations a bit more she has kindly answered some questions for us.

What is your favourite thing to cook right now?

Pie, pie and more pie! Whether we’re creating a new recipe or making one of our original classics, pies are my favourite thing to bake.

What is the first dish you cooked?

One of the first dishes I have a very fond memory of making is, Gnochi with my Nona. I remember the feeling of the soft fluffy dough between my little hands.

What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?

Tomatoes! Is there anything better then a vibrant, juicy, tomato right off the vine?

Best tip for home cooks?

Our guests are always asking us, “what’s your secret”? And our answer is always the same, there is no secret. What you’re tasting is our all butter crust and pure, clean, wholesome ingredients. Quality ingredients translate into beautiful baking.

Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.

We are preparing one of our signature pastries, our Crostatas. It’s a mini hand pie filled with farm fresh blueberries and strawberries, then topped with a citrus crumble.

Long Table Dinner- On The Farm With: Humble Roots

We are happy to announce that Humble Roots Cafe & Deli will be joining our Long Table Dinner this year! To get to know Owner, Tyler Towe’s, personal tastes and creations a bit more he has kindly answered some questions for us.

(Courtesy of Humble Roots)

What is your favourite thing to cook right now?

I enjoy experimenting with meat and dairy alternatives; nut or tofu based cheese, seitan, aqua faba based recipes and various beans/legumes. It’s a welcome challenge to explore and refine dishes that are relatively new to the culinary scene. 

What is the first dish you cooked?

(Courtesy of Humble Roots)

Shepherds Pie was the first thing I remember “trying” to prepare. It was always a favourite of mine growing up as the one my grandma made was very impressive.

What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?

BC corn is always a welcome treat!

Best tip for home cooks?

When ever possible, source local!!! Get inspired at nearby farmer’s market and try to revolve your meals around what’s seasonal. Jar and preserve your local fare at its optimal time for harvest so it can be enjoyed all year round. Talk to your local farmers, ask them questions as they are a wealth of knowledge and can provide insight on what’s fresh now and what to look forward to.

(Courtesy of Humble Roots)

Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.

Our dish is inspired by the time of year and the local ingredients available to us. It is designed to be a light and refreshing chapter in a farm to table story as told by chefs and farmers alike.

Long Table Dinner- On The Farm With: Adam Jonas

We are happy to announce that Chef Adam Jonas will be joining our Long Table Dinner this year! To get to know his personal tastes and creations a bit more he has kindly answered some questions for us.

(Adam Jonas seen right)

What is your favourite thing to cook right now?

Anything on the BBQ like fresh sockeye, steaks, chicken or pork chops. With the hot summer weather it’s nice the get out of the kitchen and cook outside!

What is the first dish you cooked?

I cant remember that but, the first time I learned how to properly cook items like braised beef short ribs and risotto as a young cook working at Galleries on Westwood Plateau, I knew I wanted to become a chef.

What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?

I purchased some Chilliwack corn this week that was delicious, as it is this time of year every year. I also always look forward to our fresh BC harvest items every summer like cherries, blueberries, and peaches. It’s always sad when the growing season comes to an end for these items.

Best tip for home cooks?

Keep it simple. Utilize as many local in season products as possible. Try new recipes. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time when you have company to make the evening less stressful.

Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.

It will be vegan and gluten free.

On The Wild Side With: Brigitta’s Pottery

Growing up in a very creative family; a father who built furniture, a mother who was a gifted seamstress and a grandmother who was a marvellous cook, Brigitta knew from an early age how to sew,stitch, knit, wield a hammer and cook at an early age.

Music was an important part of our lives as well, more as in appreciation than playing an instrument; I learned to play the flute much later in live. Most of our weekends and holidays were spent either hiking, climbing and skiing in the Alps, or at the cottage  my parents rented at a farm. There I learned to love an appreciate farming and  nature in all it’s aspects.

Thus it was only natural that Brigitta was attracted to clay’s earthy properties. She says the material lends itself to being manipulated in every creative way one can think of.

Whether it’s soil I plunge my hands into to bring forth flowers and plants, or whether it’s clay I let slip through my hands to coax into shapes and forms, both give me the immense pleasure of creating. Creations that in return reflect on the beauty of nature.

Despite her creative upbringing, Brigitta says she began working with clay later in life. Once her youngest left home, she one day, filled her time by going to a pottery class with a friend. This reignited her passion for pottery and created opportunities that she did not let slip by. Eventually receiving a business license and building her studio, Brigitta began to sign up for markets, art studio tours and Christmas sales.

There was no opportunity when I was young, studied nursing, immigrated to Canada, and had a family. Even though I did not plan to start a business at this point, I did go to the Kootenay School of Arts studying ceramics for two years. Today I am still very happy working in my studio, totally enjoy the enriching contact with my customers at the markets and am up to a challenge when doing the odd custom work.

Brigitta creates her own unique colours and textures by mixing her own glazes, made of minerals, clays and oxides, which she sources from Greenbarn in Port Kells.

I buy Canadian clay sourced in Medicin Hat (Medalta), Alberta, through the pottery supply store Greenbarn in Port Kells. Medalta is a historic ceramic manufacturing complex now turned into a ceramic art school.

To offset the potential environmental damage from glazing materials Brigitta mixes surplus glaze and clay, form bricks, or lately ollas, and fire them to bisque temperature. This process stabilizes all material, and she then uses the bricks and ollas in her garden.

First and foremost, Brigitta’s design inspiration comes from nature. She says she does her best work when the environment is in mind. The rivers, forests and ocean that surround us, reflecting shapes and colours back to us.

…a perky frog, sea stars and shells are enhancing birdbaths, mugs and teapots. The process from idea to finished product can be long. An idea, some drawings, a prototype, or two, or three, breakage and disappointment, but eventually the piece looks at least somewhat like the original idea.

She is intrigued by both straight and clean lines and but gravitates towards organic shapes and forms like leaving uneven rims on plates, bowls and platters.

Or I coax an undulating wave into my mugs, making them look like fresh out of the ocean. And then my flower arranging vessels….well, I do sit in my garden a lot and while admiring  the flowers I’d like to display I envision the form that would do it best.

What in part makes Brigitta’s pottery so unique from one creation to another is the inherit way pottery is finished. She says despite technological advances, no two kiln loads turn out exactly the same.

Outside temperature and humidity, density in stacking the pieces, thickness of each piece, type of clay used  and placement in the kiln all play a role on how a pot turns out. That is why it can be very difficult to exactly replicate a piece.

Read More About Brigitta’s Pottery Making Process:

I do both hand building and wheel throwing and often combine the two. 

Lets take a midsize mug:

A lump of soft clay, about 500 g, is gently wedged ( a special kneading technique that is supposed to get rid of air bubbles in the clay and align the tiny clay particles so that throwing becomes easier and even).   

On the wheel it takes just a few minutes to form the cup, but then I take a rib (a flat tool) to the wobbly mug and distort the wall to get my wave pattern in. Lots of opportunity to press just a little bit too hard and the thin walls collapse. But if successful, the mug is then transferred onto a drying board and left to dry for a few hours (or anything from half an hour to two days, depending on the weather and humidity) till leather hard. That means the clay will be exactly like leather, it holds its shape but can still be manipulated to some degree. The mug is put back on the wheel, upside down, and the bottom gets trimmed, all the excess clay taken off to form a nice foot.

Meanwhile a handle is formed and left to dry to the same leather hardness as the mug, and then attached to the mug. The mug is left to dry completely, to bone dry, which can take anything from a day to almost a week.

Then the mug is fired to a temperature of 1040 Celsius. This process is called a bisque firing. It takes about 9 to 10 hours to peak temperature and a day to cool down. The process hardens the clay, however, it is still porous, won’t hold water, and is still not very strong.

At this point the glaze is applied. Glaze is a calculated mixture of clays, minerals, oxides and possibly colour pigments that will form a glass like layer around a bisque piece.

There are many techniques to do that, depending on the type of glaze used. Glaze can be painted on, sprayed on, poured over the piece, or the piece can be dipped right into the glaze.

Glaze dries quite fast and the piece can be fired a few hours to a day later. I fire to a mid range temperature of 2,000 Celsius. This time it takes about 12 hours to reach peal temperature and a good day to cool down. 

And voila, the mug is done! 

Long Table Dinner- On The Farm With: Karen Curtis

We are happy to announce that Chef  Karen Curtis of Kic’s Gourmet Products will be joining our Long Table Dinner once again! To get to know her personal tastes and creations a bit more she has kindly answered some questions for us.

What is your favourite thing to cook right now?

I’m trying more vegetarian dishes right now, looking for ways to incorporate new veggies into my food. I just put some shaved fennel into a coleslaw and served it with an orange dressing that a chef friend of mine made. So good! I also just made stuffed tomatoes on the BBQ. They were stuffed with a mixture of Central Park ground pork, veggies and Golden Ears Cheesecrafters cheese. We really enjoyed those.

What is the first dish you cooked?

Karen Curtis (right) at the 2017 Long Table Dinner

I don’t remember but I do know that by the time I hit grade eight foods class, I was cooking full meals and they were trying to teach me how to broil a grapefruit half covered with brown sugar!

What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?

I’m all over zucchini right now. Spiralized and served with a rose sauce, sliced into ribbons and sauted with garlic and basil or served with a fresh tomato sauce, stuffed with lentils and cheese, baked into muffins or loaves.

Best tip for home cooks?

Don’t be afraid to try something new. You learn even from your mistakes!

Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.

Gluten free, Coconut Thumbprint cookies filled with lemon curd and fresh raspberries.

Long Table Dinner- On The Farm With: Victoria Leszczynski

We are happy to announce that Chef  Victoria Leszczynski of Ela Made Me Do It will be joining our Long Table Dinner this year! To get to know her personal tastes and creations a bit more she has kindly answered some questions for us.

Ela Made Me Do It soup (Courtesy of Ela Made Me Do It).

What is your favourite thing to cook right now?

Japanese turnips are my new favorite vegetables. I love them raw or roasted; roasting makes them even sweeter and juicier!

What is the first dish you cooked?

Hard to say as I used to cook with my grandmother since long before my earliest memories! My first solo dinner was likely dad’s meat sauce and spaghetti recipe, his secret ingredient is a small pinch of cinnamon to compliment the beef!

Ela Made Me Do It products (Courtesy of Ela Made Me Do It).

What is your favourite vegetable from the market this week?

Cabbage! As a Polish immigrant I got pretty excited when they cabbages started to pop up at the market a few weeks ago.

Best tip for home cooks?

Colour= flavour! Don’t be afraid to get a really dark sear on your steak or try roasting your favorite vegetables at a higher temperature than usual (with careful monitoring/turning) for a sweeter, richer flavour!

Tell us something about your long table dinner dish.

I will be serving braised beef short ribs! An intense sear for flavour followed by a low and slow braise will result in a melt in your mouth entree.