You don’t often think of a brewery as a community hub; where local stand-up comedians can try out their act; where trivia nights, beer yoga, or weddings are part of the goings-on or – how about this – with a cafe on site, complete with pastries and site-roasted java. But that’s exactly what’s happening at Endeavour Brewing and Coffee Roasters, and founders Matt and Georgia Atkins have put it plainly in their mission statement, describing themselves as ‘cultivators of commu

As brothers growing up on a ranch south of Calgary, it might seem natural that brothers Greg and Allan Dixon would someday come to own a butchery/charcuterie company. And, it was on a snowy day in the woods some 15 years ago when the idea was hatched to do just that. “We love hunting, we love eating – on that trip, we got talking about doing high quality, wild game processing. We saw a gap in the market there,” recalls Allan. At that time, both worked in downtown Calgary i

Grabbing a drink from the convenience store or restaurant is as easy as pulling a bottle from the cooler, right? Even easier, why not make that choice water? Forget the pop, flavoured sparkling drinks etc. Just simple water. What a concept, right? And what if choosing water can also be about feeding hungry children around the world? Mind-boggling, but true. Sometimes simple things make the most sense. It’s that way for Edmonton friends Kori Chilibeck and Matt Moreau, found

It takes out of the box thinking to take the humble oat in a new direction. It’s no surprise then, that those behind Stoked Oats are doing just that, creating high-protein, low-sugar, oat-based so called ‘superfoods’ using planet-friendly practices. There are traditional and innovative products in the lineup, from granolas to a new oat rice, but just as importantly, there’s a focus on being good to the earth in how the products are made. And the company founders are passionat

The pandemic changed things for many businesses – often for the worse – but in the case of Garage Kombucha, it’s gets some of the credit for imagining it into existence. Registered dietician Vera Baraz and her chemist husband, Daniel Calcines, had their careers and even a side business teaching Argentine dance. So when Covid put a pause on pursuing that passion, the busy pair found themselves with time on their hands. “Daniel bought a 400-litre stainless steel ferment

Ryan and Tessa Agrey with the Eden Tower indoor vertical garden system Tessa and Ryan Agrey are a determined pair. The brother and sister team behind Hope Innovations (which makes the Eden Tower indoor vertical garden system) are a two-person whirlwind of production and marketing of an innovative vegetable growing system that is finding success with new and established gardeners alike. And they’re doing it in tough economic times, to boot. But, the thirty-somethings who grew

You might not think a potato farmer and a cattle rancher have much in common with winemaking, but you haven’t heard the story of Joel Mans (plus brother Rick) and partner/friend Jordan Sinke. For generations, the unlikely boutique winery operators, with their families before them, built thriving farming operations near Lethbridge. But, as the next gen farmers will attest, curiosity (and boundless energy, obviously) added a whole new dimension to their life’s work. And by dime

Many of us grew up making cookies with our moms, or still enjoy baking them with our own kids, or just for ourselves – it’s a simple pleasure, putting together sugar, butter and flour and reaping the rewards afterwards. But have you met Kathy Leskow? Ten years ago, the Sherwood Park mom took her love of baking up a notch, embarking on the journey of turning cookies (cupcakes and cakes too) into a thriving business. And, while people around her describe Leskow as a trailblazer

Fratello means ‘brother’ in Italian – a fitting moniker for Calgary-based Fratello Coffee Roasters, the family-focused coffee pioneer celebrating 50 years in the industry. Brothers Chris and Russ Prefontaine are at the helm of what started as their dad, Cam’s, humble coffee distribution company in 1974, (he switched to being a roaster in 1985), and the pair has continued to build on the family legacy to become a preeminent roaster (distributor, equipment service provider) in

It is said when you’re passionate about your work, it doesn’t really feel like work. For Ian Gladue and his Indigenous enterprise Mitsoh ...

Do you ever think about what happens to the chopsticks you use at the restaurant, or fast-food spot? Most of us don’t give it a thought,...

When Stephane Pilon decided he wanted to open a business a few years ago, he couldn’t have known the search would take him from Canada to...

Moving to Toronto from Mexico some 20 years ago, chemical engineer Vladimir Gonzalez said he just couldn’t find the authentic foods he...

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Give it up for the honeybee: the folks behind Fallentimber Meadery do. It's not a stretch to see the third-generation beekeeping family...

Over the last decade or so, consumers have generally become much more conscious about which kinds of waste we send to the landfill and...

When Charlotte Wasylik was a little girl growing up on Chatsworth Farm near Vermillion, she and her two brothers named all the cows that...

Even non-beer drinkers know that over the course of the last decade Alberta has been in the midst of a golden age of craft breweries....

Anyone who pays close attention to menus at finer dining restaurants in Calgary has probably seen the words “Lambtastic Farms” listed...

Many food lovers have gotten to know the smallest of details when it comes to where their food comes from. Menus often tell us where the...