November 1, 2017
From beef jerky to butchery “Fresh pork belly can be unreal,” Chris van Ouwerkerk, owner of Butcher & Butcher and Jerkules Fine Beef Jerky, tells me as we sit down to chat. My previous encounters with pork belly can be counted on one hand and only some have been favourable. But the passion with which van Ouwerkerk speaks about fresh…
October 31, 2017
The inspiration for our new business’ name I love playing with words. I like to tell stories. I am a visual person. So when my husband, Mike, and I started to seriously consider our marzipan idea becoming a business we had to give the baby a name. One that meant something – to us and to you. Our marzipan represents the traditions…
October 17, 2017
Reality check for our business idea So here we are, my husband Mike and I, planning to make and sell marzipan. But will anybody but us want to eat it, let alone buy it? The two challenges ahead: 1) We had never made marzipan 2) Would people know what it is and/ or like it? The easiest answer to both…
October 1, 2017
Brian and Lorna McMaster, The Taco Farmers, want you to save your seeds The Taco Farmers. The name is pretty spot on when you consider that Lorna and Brian McMaster grow nearly 100 per cent of the ingredients for the menu of their taco-centric booth at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market. However, what you may not realize is that your tortilla…
October 1, 2017
Island Abbey Foods sets sights on becoming a global brand I used to think innovation mostly happened in fancy buildings with walls of glass and white leather furniture, on well-manicured green lawns in places far-flung from Canada’s island province. It turns out I was way off the mark. Way, way off. In fact, innovation can happen anywhere that you find…
October 1, 2017
Upstreet Craft Brewing first Island company to gain B Corp accreditation When you think of a craft brewery, what are the first things that come to mind? High-quality, local beer—yes. A crowd of hop enthusiasts—yes. A hip place to hang out—yes. Now stop right there! Upstreet Craft Brewing is all of these things, and then some. Most recently, the Charlottetown-based…
October 1, 2017
Maritime Marzipan—a German treat inspired by Island life If someone had told me a decade ago that we’d live in Canada one day I would have been surprised. If someone had told me two years ago that we’d have a house by the ocean I would have said they were crazy. If someone had told me six months ago that…
October 1, 2017
Summerside’s new local food shop On a rainy Saturday afternoon, two weeks after its grand opening, I paid a visit to Farmed – Market & Craft Butchery, located in Reads Corner, Summerside. Owned and operated by Julie and Mike Taylor, this new food shop is clearly setting its sights on meeting the needs of locavores and foodies in Western PEI.…
September 1, 2017
Growing popularity of brews inspire Island tea entrepreneurs Whether it’s two for tea, an elegant high tea party, or an after-dinner ritual, tea and all that it encompasses has made a resurgence in recent years. From national chains like David’s Tea to chic teahouses offering flights of tea to celebrity-endorsed ‘beauty’ teas, it’s clear this humble beverage has become en…
September 1, 2017
“Take the right at the church and we’re just down the road from there.” Travelling along Route 2 from Charlottetown, the directions to O’Neil Home Gallery & Café are fairly straightforward: continue west to Kensington, just go straight when you hit the lights—which takes you onto Route 20, drive until you see the big church in Malpeque, and that’s where…