Our mini interview with Allison Landon, founder of Cowichan Valley based company Truffula, is an inspiring story of how challenging circumstances can not only be overcome, but can result in an incredible business and product line that otherwise may never have been realized. Truffula’s “foodie-worthy” cultured cashew cheeses are dairy-free, plant-based, certified organic and full of flavour without compromise.
Read MoreWe have a wonderful story to share with you this month that shows you how sometimes the most challenging problems can result in beautiful solutions. When Alia Sunderij was teaching a Sustainable Innovation class at Simon Fraser University, one of her students brought the issue of food waste to her attention. She learned that tons of BC produce was being discarded before it had a chance to reach consumers simply for cosmetic reasons. She decided to do something about it and created Luv the Grub, which rescues “ugly” produce before it would otherwise be tossed out, and transforms it into delicious gourmet chutneys and spreads. Read on for the other ways Luv the Grub is supporting their community!
Read MoreJed and Louise from Elderberry Grove Farm describe themselves as elderberry enthusiasts and it’s easy to see how that passion led them to create a thriving business based on these incredibly healthy and delicious berries. Elderberries are deeply nutritious and supportive to the immune system, which is extra helpful this time of year. We’re thrilled to carry Elderberry Farm’s juice, shrub, and syrup at Pomme and think that you’ll be an elderberry enthusiast too after hearing their story!
Read MoreThis mother and daughter duo know that good food is made even better with good spices and were fed up with the fillers found in many store-bought spice blends. So Mariam Anvarali Nichols, and her mother Masooma Anvarali, put together a curry spice blend from a generations-old family recipe, started selling it at their local Farmers Market, and from there, From the Earth Spices was born. Locally roasted and blended in Victoria, their spice blends have quickly become a culinary staple.
Read MoreUmami Bomb Shiitake Chili Oils have become a staple in many West Coast kitchens over recent years. Having a go-to condiment is kind of like an easy way to turn any food into comfort food—just add a dollop and the flavours of whatever dish you’re eating blend with the flavours of the condiment you know and love to create an awesome balance of variety and familiarity.
Read MoreIt’s so nice to have the opportunity to introduce you to the founders of Yeshi, Paul and Barbara Kleinschmidt, who are not only partners in business, but in life! It’s no secret we absolutely love fresh, organic produce, so great salads are also very near and dear to our hearts.
Read MoreWe’re thrilled to chat with Miki Talebi of oomé smoked tofu for this month’s Meet The Maker Mini Interview. Smoked tofu is a staple in so many homes these days, and we love how thoughtfully crafted, local, and extremely delicious Miki’s take on this favourite is!
Read MoreNora's Plant-Based Ice Cream Mini Interview Nora’s Plant-Based Ice Cream is incredibly popular with our customers year-round but the height of summer makes ice cream just a little extra delicious, so we thought this would be the perfect time to introduce you to Kat, Ice Cream Maker and Co-Founder of this fabulous independent BC-business.
Read MoreSquish Juicery is our close Pomme Port Coquitlam neighbour, and is such a wonderful part of our Pomme Community. Fabulous humans Jessica and Callan launched Squish Juicery in 2018 and it’s been awesome to see them connect with other locals and delight not only the PoCo neighbourhood, but BC and beyond, with their delicious, incredibly healthy, and really inventive juice blends.
Read MoreJessica and Heather of Treat Yourself Treats are proof that great minds think alike—and often collaborate to create wonderful things! The two entrepreneurs had a true grass roots start, meeting at their side-by-side farmers market stalls, where they were selling Sweetly Raw Desserts (Heather) and Singing Bowl Granola (Jessica).
Read MoreOne of the many things we admire about our fabulous local vendors is their deep commitment to not just tastiness, but to overall health—and Melinda and Todd of Alkeme definitely exemplify this!
Read MoreVancouver-based holistic nutritionist Chara and health focussed entrepreneur Vanessa designed Oat Of The Ordinary to make super healthy, all-natural breakfasts super simple. They’ve ‘levelled up’ instant oatmeal with a set of delicious flavours featuring all-natural, premium ingredients—and all their flavours are packed with protein while staying light on sugar.
Read MoreRawmbas has been a close neighbour of Pomme Nanaimo for a long time, and it’s been such a pleasure to see them grow, and to work with them over the years. Originally launched as a family run vegan take out spot, they have honed their small business to focus on their star product: celiac-friendly, plant-based, incredibly healthy, tasty and filling muffins!
Read MoreSoul Bite Food is very special organization that we are so lucky to have in our Pomme community. You might recognize them from our aisles in the form of incredibly delicious vegan comfort foods based on recipes from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. But the story behind Soul Bite Food is as awesome as their creations. They began as a local Tri-Cities charity dedicated to fighting hunger and combating food waste, by redistributing viable food at risk of going to waste to families experiencing food insecurities. After five years of relying on volunteer hours and paying for various expenses out of pocket, they decided to create a social enterprise that would support their work. Using traditional recipes from their own families and communities, they developed their amazing retail line of appetizers, and the profits from these award winning products help them continue their incredibly important work. We’re really grateful co-founder Igor Bjelac found some time to answer our Meet The Maker interview questions this month.
Read MoreFrom the UK to BC! Born in London, Parma Vik has had a really exciting and varied culinary career that has included working for the likes of no less than Jamie Oliver! Soon after relocating to Canada in 2013, he began working on Jann Foods, his own company designed to focus on clean eating. Jaan Foods' first product is an incredibly delicious plant-based butter chicken sauce based on family recipe: Parma's Butterless Chickenless Sauce. It's been super popular with our customers (and staff!) and we're so happy we get to share a little of Parma's story and personality with you. And we can't wait to try whatever fab creations Jaan Foods offers next!
Read MoreWe’re really excited to introduce you to Beth Campbell, of Viva Cacao! Based in the Slocan Valley, Beth’s approach to creating fabulous, ethical chocolate bars, barks, and drinking chocolates is to treat cacao like the superfood that it is—and combine it with more superfoods! She also uses super sustainable coconut sugar, or lucuma, as sweeteners. With keto, plant-based, and dairy free options, there’s something perfect and deeply nourishing for all dietary preferences, and her products come in incredible flavours, like Vegan Chai with Reishi, Raspberry and Camu Camu, and Coffee and Cardamom. As with so many of our awesome local makers, Beth started off in her own kitchen with some ideas, a willingness experiment, and a whole lot of determination. Read on to learn more about how her wonderful small business developed.
Read MoreCharmaine Ng developed her Love Me Some line of keto, plant-based, non-gmo crackers using her Masters of Food Science from the University of British Columbia when her growing family drove home how important it is to balance convenience with real nutrition. Her made-in-Vancouver products are based on using the benefits of super seeds to help support our immune systems and natural cycles. These crackers are a delicious snack food with a fantastic nutritional profile designed to fuel humans of all ages—in as much time as it takes to dip your hand into a box! That said, they're also amazing with all kinds of toppings and spreads, and make a beautiful addition to snack and appetizer boards. We’re really grateful to Charmaine for sharing some insight into how her small business developed!
Read MoreWe love a good “side-hustle-to-successful-independent-business” story! Christine Yee’s certified gluten-free dumplings have pretty much achieved cult status in the coastal BC region. Available in four flavours—including two vegan options, Golden Dumplings and Jade Dumplings—her premium product draws on and honours her family culinary tradition. Equally amazing for both a quick, healthy snack or a big, beautiful dinner with friends and family, the care she puts into creating them definitely shows in their quality and deliciousness! We’re really glad Christine was able to find some time to answer our Mini Interview questions so you can get to know her a bit, and get little peek into the life of another awesome local maker in our community.
Read MoreFrom making personal deliveries on one local block using a little red wagon, to now having distribution throughout Western Canada, Sabrina and Kristin of Squamish Water Kefir have turned their passion for probiotics into a fabulous and well-loved range of water kefir-based products. We're super happy they found time to chat with us about how it all got started, their daily motivations and breakfast favs, and, as always, some top tips for feeling awesome.
Read MoreOmega 3 Nutracleanse is brought to you by Sunshine Coast-based entrepreneur sisters, Melanie, Teresa, and Dina. Their “O3NC” blend brings together five simple ingredients: Ground Flaxseed, Psyllium Husk, Fenugreek Seed Powder, Dandelion Root Powder & Burdock Root Powder. This combination provides an awesome amount of fibre and tons of digestion friendly nutrients.
Read More
