Meet Arnaud and Max, founders of Vancouver-based Wize Tea, the revolutionary coffee leaf-based drinks that not only taste great and are good for you, they help support the livelihoods of coffee growers in Nicaragua while helping to reduce food waste. It’s an ingenious product and a win-win for consumers, growers, and the environment. Let’s get to know one of the co-founders, Arnaud, in this month’s mini interview.
Read MoreHornby Organic Energy Bars and new O-Snack Bars are tremendously popular as healthy, grab-and-go, gluten-free snacks. What you might not know is that this local family business was inspired by another great product we love: Hornby Island Energy Balls. It’s a wonderful story of a cross-generational family working together, entrepreneurial innovation, and the power of simple, wholesome ingredients, made with love.
Read MoreMeet the powerhouse pair behind Ginger Dog! This Vancouver company only started in 2022 and has blitzed onto the scene, gaining a loyal following with their phenomenal ginger boosters. As you’ll find out in the interview, getting the formulation just right wasn’t easy, but they nailed it with all-natural ingredients that pack a punch and have just a touch of sweetness. Whether you want to start your day with a bang, add some intense ginger flavour to your cooking, or make up a special cold or hot drink, these shots are super convenient and provide many health benefits to boot!
Read MoreWe have the pleasure of sharing the story of Vancouver-based company Blume for May’s Meet the Maker Mini Interview. Founder and CEO Karen Danudjaja is who we can thank for creating a beautiful collection of functional superfood lattes made from healthy ingredients, chosen for targeted wellness as well as flavour. Blume is the perfect solution for anyone wanting a coffee shop style hot drink ritual, without the jitters or syrups. Get to know more about Karen and Blume in our interview.
Read MoreWe love a good “problem meets solution” business start up story, especially when it solves an important issue like food waste. Vancouver company Susgrainable is the perfect example of this with their brilliant concept of rescuing spent grains from breweries and repurposing the grain into high-protein, nutrient dense baking mixes.
Read MoreOur 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!
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