Sarah Harper and the Fiery World of Stoke The Fire Hot Sauce

Join hosts Phil and Kenny for an engaging conversation with Sarah Harper, the self-proclaimed "Sauceress" and CEO of Stoke The Fire Hot Sauce. This episode takes you on a journey from Sarah's fascinating background as a performance artist and Arctic chef to her current life as a passionate pepper farmer and hot sauce creator in British Columbia's Similkameen Valley.

Sarah shares the story of how she and her partner Stu transformed their backyard garden into a thriving 7-acre farm with over 40 varieties of specialty hot peppers. Discover how their brand "Stoke The Fire" was born, the inspiration behind their best-selling "Bear Spray" sauce (hint: it involves actual bears!), and their commitment to organic, honey-sweetened products with no refined sugars.

The conversation explores Sarah's unique approach to farming, her indigenous partnerships, and her vision for connecting food producers across British Columbia. From her beekeeping adventures to her new commercial kitchen facility, Sarah offers insights into sustainable small-scale farming and the supportive community of food producers in BC.

Whether you're a hot sauce enthusiast, a farming aficionado, or simply love stories of passion-driven entrepreneurship, this heartwarming episode showcases the authentic connection between good people, great food, and the land they cultivate.

Check out Stoke the fire here: https://www.stokethefirehotsauce.com/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

From Restaurant Owner to Tea Entrepreneur with Nicole Keats

Join hosts Phil and Kenny as they sit down with Nicole Keating, founder of The Newfoundland Tea Company. In this candid and energetic conversation, Nicole shares her remarkable journey from running a fine-dining bistro in Gander to building a premium organic tea brand that's rapidly expanding beyond Newfoundland's shores.

Nicole opens up about weathering personal and professional challenges—including a divorce, health struggles, and the devastating impact of the pandemic on her restaurant business—before finding unexpected success in the tea industry. Learn how her distinctive moose logo came to be, why premium tea is finding its market in a coffee-dominated world, and the creative ways she's incorporated tea into everything from cocktails to merchandise.

This episode showcases an entrepreneur whose resilience, gut instincts, and commitment to quality have helped her navigate career transitions while staying true to her roots. Whether you're a tea lover, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply enjoy stories of reinvention, Nicole's authentic and spirited take on building a business from the heart offers inspiration and practical insights for the commerce life.

check out Nicole's product here: https://www.thenewfoundlandteaco.com/

Find Nicole here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-keats-084444266/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Owner of Wild Moon Organics Sean Smith looks at brands, owning a bone broth company a little differently.

Check out Wild Moon Organics here: https://wildmoonorganics.ca/

Find Sean here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-smith-1551b953/overlay/photo/

Thank you to Fieldagent for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Nathanael Hollands and Kinvest Impact Foundation are building market innovations in Rural Africa. They invest in agribusiness farms near marketplace communities. By combining development in marketplaces with commercial farms, they help foster a complete economic system where value is created, jobs and wages grow, and money is recirculated into the local economy.

Connect with Nathanael here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fixr/

check out Kinvest here: https://kinvestglobal.com/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Be sure you sign up for CHFA West - see you there! https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/

Dinner with Christos. The founder of Aelo, talks about their new launch, Limoncello and how this one is special. He also talks about how he thinks about flavours, and keeping Aelo special.

Check out Aelo here: https://www.drinkaelo.com/

Connect with Christos here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christos-kalaitzis-b7942378/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

We're excited to go to CHFA West - head to https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/

Throwback episode. We walked the Kelowna Farmer's Market with Peter Boyd last summer and this is some of the footage. We get a buyer's perspective on brands and what he wants to accomplish, and we hear just a sample of amazing stories at that market.

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. Head to https://www.fieldagentcanada.com to find out more

Get more details on Grocery Showcase West: https://gsfshow.com/

Sign up to head to CHFA West: https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/

Off Script with Phil & Kenny: April Events Preview

Join Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci as they discuss upcoming food industry events and initiatives in Canada this April. The duo shares their plans for CHFA (April 26-27), where they'll run a unique connection hub using Polaroid photos to match brands with distributors, brokers, and partners. They'll also be attending Grocery Showcase West (April 14-15), supporting BC brands and connecting industry players.

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. Head to https://www.fieldagentcanada.com to find out more

Get more details on Grocery Showcase West: https://gsfshow.com/

Sign up to head to CHFA West: https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/

Melanie's episode is here (aired April 1st., 2024) https://www.thiscommercelife.com/tclpodcast/episode/1f1ab546/melanie-macinnes-talks-about-being-flexible-nimble-the-irrational-fear-of-losing-the-farm

From ice cream bicycles to national distribution: Meet Melissa Leung of TransCold, the powerhouse behind Canada's frozen food logistics. Learn why small frozen brands need distribution partners, how TransCold expanded from ice cream to nationwide frozen food delivery, and why factoring in distribution costs from day one is crucial for frozen food startups. A must-listen for anyone in the frozen category or considering entering it.

Get in touch with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacoughlan/

Check out Transcold here: https://www.transcold.com/

Thank you to Fieldagent Canada for sponsoring this podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/