Locked on Local

Ed Teal is a local brewer and owner behind York County Cider situated in Fredericton’s north side. Growing up with an appreciation for cider, a traditional English beverage made from fermented apple juice, Ed has put a lot of thought into both the product and the vision behind his beverages. Ed joined me this week to talk about where he sees York County going from here.

Born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Kevin and Jen Stewart have always wanted to bring a business they were passionate about to their hometown. While living in Toronto for 10 years, they developed a love of spirits while frequenting local distilleries and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it it was the right time to come home and open a distillery and tasting room in in their hometown. Kevin joined us to talk about why he chose to make the jump into entrepreneurship and where he sees First Light going forward.  

Connell Farm in Lower Cambridge is a commercial flock of 80+ sheep for processing in an on-site abattoir established in 2021 right in the middle of a pandemic. The business/ farm is focused on selling meat (lamb and pork) direct to customers from the shop, at farmers markets, online, delivery, and to other butcher shops.

Born on a farm in NB, Danielle Connell is sticking to her roots. She is a certified Chef, has a Bachelor's degree, and has worked in the academic R&D ecosystem since 2008. Danielle joined us to talk about the business and why she loves it.

Big Sky Ventures Inc. is a Certified Organic and Certified Kosher Sea Buckthorn Berry orchard and licensed winery in Chipman, NB. Beth Fowler and Clay Bartlett partner in the operation of the farm which, other than growing the whole fruit, also makes value added products such as raw juice, dehydrated powder, skin care and wine. Sea Buckthorn has nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, culinary, environmental and cosmetic applications, and Beth joined me to dig deeper into the business case and why the potential for growing a citrus fruit in New Brunswick was intriguing.

Jeff Mundee is a game designer with over 15 years of experience in the video game industry, working in a wide range of roles, projects, and companies and now the Director of Design and Development for Spandrel Interactive. Spandrel Interactive is a software development company that leverages leading-edge innovation and game design experience to build advanced virtual training simulations, products, sales experiences, and other interactive experiences for a wide variety of clients. The company was founded in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, in 2020 and has been developing multiple projects across the country.

Jeff joined the podcast to talk about what Spandrel is doing and to discuss the idea of using games for things that aren’t games.

Born and raised in Fredericton, Duncan Clowater spent close to 6 years travelling around the world and working in different places. Duncan grew up working in a family plumbing and heating business,  until at age 48 he took a left turn to try something completely different.  Duncan opened The Dandy Paint Lounge. Located in Downtown Fredericton, the Dandy Paint Lounge is a place where you can sit down and relax alone or with friends, paint and have a drink if you like. Whether your painting on a traditional canvas, or joining a group to create art on a record or ukulele, Duncan joined Andrew to talk about this new addition to Fredericton's business community.

Stefanie Loukes is the founder of Rabbittown Beverage Company, a specialty craft beverage retailer located in Fredericton. Stefanie and her team create hand-crafted alternatives to traditional ready-to-drink iced teas. All of our drinks are rigorously made with the same high standards: Organic, raw & unpasteurized, non-GMO, gluten-free & vegan. In this discussion, Stefanie talks about how tea can be more than just a drink and how her business plays a role in the region.

Matt Clancey is a professional engineer with a background in project management. With a passion for innovation, he constantly seeks to pioneer new processes and methodologies in the aerial application space. As the Director of Ground Operations, Matt is responsible for the Field Operations, Fire Support, Research, and GIS teams at Forest Protection Limited and his team plans and executes FPL’s aerial application programs. Since 1952, Forest Protection Limited has had the mandate to preserve and protect the forests that sustain our ecosystems, our communities, and our economies. They are a global leader in full-spectrum forest health management.

Rosemary Gong owns RosieSKIN Salon Spa, a boutique salon here in Fredericton, which offers luxury facials, hot stone massages, manicure and pedicures, and more.

Rosemary has two masters degrees, one is computer science and one in marketing, 15 years R&D experience, 7 years in the beauty industry and has her Medical esthetics diploma in Fredericton. Rosemary immigrated to Fredericton in 2018 and has a lot to say not only about her journey, but the role the community has played in her business.

Asad Khan, is the owner of Halal Station, an online grocery store that exclusively sells 100% halal products. Asad and his wife moved to Fredericton with his family in 2019 and decided to start their own catering business. While larger supermarkets sell some halal products such as packaged chicken, Asad says it is difficult to find other cuts of meat such as goat, lamb and beef.

Halal Station offers a wide variety of South Asian products including spices, beverages, and the ever-popular range of halal meats.

Asad spoke with me about how the Fredericton market makes it a great opportunity for potential growth and makes it a great place to test new products or services.