cafe started as casual comfort food

whole ingredients

biscotti

xmas cookies

gingerbread

gluten free "there's never a kid who shouldn't be able to eat a cookie"

tarts + pies (pecan choco, rhubard, pumpkin, blueberry

wendel and ethel immigrated to vancouver, started a hardware store in strathcona on east hastings before moving to fort langley. diane's grandparents, left germany after ww2, survivors from concentration camps. Braun family. Hardworking, do anything you can do. Diane was raised "picking beans from the garden for dinner', local/ whole foods is just how they do it.

blueberries, cranberries from local farmers they know, spray free, etc.

Today, everyone says they're 'green'. It's meaning is washed out. All too often overlooked is the social side of sustainability, the people who make up our organizations, the communities in which we operate, social justice issues, and building diverse constituents in all our stakeholder groups. It's the people who I find interesting in the work that we do as they make me feel the rewards of our labour. In Vancouver's downtown eastside and inner city there's one organization that's been doing a great job at bridging the gap between socially distraught down and out people and the businesses that inhabit the neighbourhood and drive the economy, Building Opportunities with Business, commonly referred to as BOB.

Last month I got a call from Brian Smith, the on the ground business and social enterprise developer at BOB, letting me know about their 'Consultant Fees' grant program available to inner city businesses working with consultants on various projects to green their operations. Opportunity knocks! At the time we were just negotiating terms with our brand and marketing consultant Andy Maier at Courageous B, looking at revising our brand and redeveloping our website (Scheduled to go live on Sept.15/10, stay tuned for some upcoming changes!). Given the green emphasis of our business, the product sourcing we do from DTES social enterprises and our participation in BOB's social purchasing portal we were awarded a $7,500 grant to contribute to this work we're taking on. If successful, it'll help us to grow our business and further the positive social and environmental impacts we're having on the community. I'm honored to work with BOB and receive their contribution, every bit helps and allows us to take some risks and leverage our marketing budget for the year. With the Christmas gift basket season approaching we're eager to see how our investment will pan out.

In total $36,000 was distributed to 8 Vancouver businesses. We're in good company with our neighbours at the Strathcona Business Improvement Association whom we collaborate with on the Strathcona Green Zone and other leading DTES organizations including Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, EMBERS, Recycling Alternative, Megaphone and Potluck Cafe. The Vancouver Aquaponics initiative received some funding as well which is an exciting opportunity to convert under utilized space in parking garages into highly productive aquaculture businesses to supply the local market demand for fish. Would love to see that happen! Thanks BOB!

Meet Starworks Packaging and Assembly, a fantastic social enterprise providing employment for adults with developmental disabilities in Vancouver, BC. Part of the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) Starworks generates much of its operating expenses from their pick and pack assembly and fulfillment business. I originally met with Starworks over 3 years ago when I launched Saul Good seeing great potential for a social enterprise partner to take on various fulfillment tasks in our Vancouver gift basket and corporate gift business.

Attention to quality

On our tour we conducted a few spot checks to make sure the corporate gifts looked as per our specifications, all the products we defined were included and the placement of our greeting and story cards were all in the right places. It's no surprise that organizations such as BC Hydro, Finning, Tourism BC and VISA all work with the social enterprise for various fulfillment needs.

Efficient operations

Starworks is fast! They were able to go through 21 pallets of product and fulfill our 750 gift order in just 2 days! They turned our order around very quickly to meet our schedule. Starworks employs a couple production coordinators who manage the assembly teams, ensuring that everyone understands their tasks and is well suited to it. They understand lean manufacturing strategies and develop simple, clear and balanced production between the team members to ensure the production line flows. They definitely know what they're doing and I'm confident in their ability to perform.

Everyone was so friendly!

Both Alex and I had a great time talking with the staff and employees on our Starworks tour. Some of the employees were quite chatty and engaged us in interesting conversations. We got to practice our German and Hebrew which took us both by surprise and left us with the understanding that its a mistake to underestimate the capabilities of developmentally disabled individuals.

Top 3 things we like about Starworks

1. Creates social good with every gift assembled. Starworks creates meaningful employment for adults living with developmental disabilities in Vancouver, BC. The workers were really happy completing their tasks and enjoy their work, even the sometimes tedious and repetitious work of the assembly line.
2. Friendly atmosphere. We felt really comfortable on our tour of their facility and found everyone very personable.
3. Delivery on time. No over promising, Starworks pulled it off, without a hitch!

Looking forward to our next opportunity to work with the team at Starworks!

Locavores watch out! Les Amis du Fromage, a Vancouver based artisan cheese retailer/wholesaler has found some innovative ways to source locally while building community. Below is an article I wrote that was recently published on GranvilleOnline.ca

Local cheese retailer stands out not only for its vast selection of highly coveted cheeses but also its community outreach

I love talking with entrepreneurs and hearing their stories of how their business started, developed and grew. Sitting down with Allison Spurrell and Joe Chaput from Les Amis du Fromage, a Vancouver-based cheese and gourmet food retailer, I was immediately engaged by their passion not only for food, but also people and community.

Social interaction is a huge part of business, and building community in what we do and how we do it is key to success. Not only are all Les Amis products high quality but they also teach us a valuable lesson in how to live a good life.

Originally running a catering company with her mother, Alice Spurrell, Allison told me that she liked to include a considerable selection of cheese, with wine pairings, as part of their catering events. Their selections proved popular, and it wasn't long before word spread and other caterers started asking if they could buy cheese from them.

Will trade for cheese!

Founded in 1886, Strathcona is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in Vancouver and, because of its age, is home to many heritage homes with mature fruit trees.

"I just put the word out," says Joe, and it was easy to find a neighbour with bushels of extra plums that they were willing to trade for cheese from the shop.

Joe went on to make his exclusive Strathcona Italian Plum Chutney a seasonal artisan product sold in their shops and also served in their restaurant, Au Petit Chavignol (843 East Hastings St), which serves tasty wine, cheese, charcuterie and other delicacies. On occasion I go into their shop on East Hastings to buy local cheese for my company Saul Good Gift Co.’s gourmet gift baskets and was instantly a big fan.

Their 2009 experiment was so successful they've decided to expand their product line this coming season. With figs, quince, pears and apples all being grown in Strathcona, I'm excited to see what else they come up with besides the plum chutney.

Part of the SOLEfood Urban Farm community

Besides having a long list of interested families looking to trade their extra fruit this season for tasty cheese, Joe has made a commitment to be a distribution channel for SOLEfood Urban Farm, an exciting inner-city green jobs program training and employing inner city residents in horticulture. According to Seann Dory, the project manager employed by United We Can, the farm will operate as an enterprising non profit that will sell produce to create revenue to help finance the social enterprise.

Be on the lookout for locally grown, heritage salad greens being served on the plates in Au Petit Chavignol in the near future!

Creativity is at the root of innovation and inspiration is the key to creation. I'm getting super excited about a new mobile I ordered from Schmitt Design, a funky eco chic bamboo mobile we're going to hang up in our office. Our office space is already pretty comfortable to work in, with great daylighting, open space and green roof deck for taking breaks. I am stoked though to add a bit of subtle movement and lightness above our desks with the new mobile. It's being custom made for us by Brian Schmitt in Sacramento, CA and as you can see from the photo we got from him the other day, our creation is well on its way in production. Besdies bamboo Schmitt Design also uses other sustainable materials such as FSC certified cherry in their other mobiles and lighting fixtures.

Besides knowing what tastes good to me, it's always a great sign when I'm at a show sampling my wares that people see the Gone Crackers box in our gift baskets and say how much they LOVE these tasty artisan wheat crisps. Heather Nichol has developed a handful of tasty interesting flavours such as Blue Cheese and Cracked Pepper and Parmesan and Rosemary. Personally I like the plain savoury styles the best, the Undressed and the Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper, as they seem to be best for tasting local wine and cheese and treats like local artisan antipasto in our gourmet gift boxes.

Top 3 Goods Gone Crackers

1. They taste amazing. Time in time out everyone loves these little bad boys. If you're loving living life then you've got to try these.

2. Locally produced in Surrey, BC local purchasing is a great easy way to support the local economy and reduce environmental impact. Although the wheat isn't grown within 100 miles it's great to support our friends, family, neighbours and community through buying local. For more info on the benefits of local check out Lo.Co. BC, a new network of Localvores - all local, all good.

3. Class. Crack one of these boxes out at your next dinner party and turn some heads. Taste buds will follow. Be careful, Gone Crackers are addictive.

I'm always on the look out for amazing new products to add to our gift baskets. Checking out specialty shops, farmers markets, doing internet research to name a few, looking for the best delicious, locally sourced, organic and fair trade products. Gourmet foods, snacks, spa and body care products, coffee, tea, and of coursemany people's favorite, chocolate. There are days when something unexpected shows up, a package that wasn't ordered, someone sending me something to check out. This past spring I received one such package, from Sara Redpath of Sarandipity, a local chocolatier in Ladysmith, BC on Vancouver Island, filled with samples of her organic and fair trade chocolate creations. Another day at the office!

A few Sarandipity products really stood out for us so we decided to add them to our corporate gifts and gift boxes:

Chocolate Smores - graham cracker, marshmellow and chocolate goodness, without the mess of making them over the fire or the nasty preservatives in those store bought chocolate marshmellow cookies

Artisan Hot Chocolate - we tried Sara's 'A weekend in Paris'. Definitely a nice sweet treat on a rainy day. She's also got a whole bunch of other flavoured hot chocolates we've yet to try.

Northwest Chocolate Hazelnut Bark - thin, crispy, dark chocolate bark sprinkled with ground local hazelnuts. Nuff said. The bag didn't last long in our office.

Top 3 things we like about Sarandipity

1. Making it happen - we like how Sara just sent us her awesome chocolate knowing that we'd want it for our cool gift boxes
2. No compromises - Sarandipity chocolates taste great. Sourcing only organic and/or fair trade chocolate and cocoa ensure social and environmental responsibility. Not only does the chocolate make me feel good, so do the values.
3. Peace - That's how Sara signs her emails! Root natty root.

Just Potters is a social enterprise that provides training and employment for people living on disability insurance in Vancouver's eastside. Located in the basement of Grandview Calvary Baptist Church. It's a quaint opporation that makes great handmade products and provides a fantastic service to the community. After spending the last month in bed from a back injury I can relate to how it feels to be out of commission. I can only image what it feels like to be injured in the long term and unable to work full time. Part time and casual work offered by Just Potters creates amazing opportunities for people to stay active, be creative and create powerful promotional gifts.

Saying more than thank you

It's clear that gifts with a story are powerful for being memorable, meaningful and building relatinships in the long term. Over the years we've worked with them on a variety of projects and our clients have always had good things to say. Let us add a pound of fair trade organic coffee, artisan hot chocolate or fair trade organic tea to make this a great holiday gift package. The mug you see above can be customized with your branding, slogan, saying or logo. To learn more about social enterprise, the value they can bring to your organization and corporate gift, promotional products and business development programs please feel free to get in touch with us as we're happy to help you however we can.

When it comes to One Planet Catering the first thing that comes to mind is world class. Michael Kraus is best in class, not only as a phenominal caterer but also as someone who truely cares. His goal is to give people a quality dining experience, healthy nutrious and tasty meals to fuel you through the work day. I first met Michael about a year ago when he walked into Tradeworks Custom Products looking for handmade wooden presentation boxes for his locally delivered meals. His style is impecable. Creativity, unbelievable, Michael never ceases to impress.

We are stoked to be working with One Planet closely this holiday season with a line of delicious artisan holiday cookies. These are a little taste of the heavens. Man, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face when Michael brought over the first batch. Hand cut and decorated, full of buttery goodness, these are tasty treats for the holidays. Yet again, a great corporate gift for offices these cookies are great as everyone can have a taste, enjoy and think of you. Baked in a European tradition (Michael was born in Germany) there's a taste of tradition that's hard to miss. If you're looking for a quality experince Michael is your go to guy.

Top 3 things we appreciate about One Planet Catering

1. Service - Super reliable and on time

2. Experience - Meals are delivered in beautiful wooden cases filled with wooden serving boxes. Stacked neatly and protected for transportation One Planet presentation is unique in itself. Eating off nice place settings, drinking from glass and eating with silver ware give the food the opportunity to not only be eaten, but enjoyed.

3. Social conscious - Michael wants the world to be a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy. He's always looking for ways for his business to benefit the community as I've seen through his consistant enquires to procure products from Tradeworks, a downtown eastside Vancouver social enterprise that trains women in carpentry.

I love my job! I got this call yesterday from Russell at UrbanSweet Honey asking me if I was interested in high quality honey made by bees in Vancouver. He prefaced his offer, letting me know that he's only looking to work with retailers that have high end quality products that understand the value the local artisans. It was an easy answer, Russell found his guy.

The product is 100% pure wildflower which is a blend of various plants, maple, dandelion, blueberry and clover. Basically all the various plants you might find in your Vancouver neighbourhood. Russell's bees live near the PNE so this honey is East Van all the way.

Strengthen your immune system

Eating honey from your local ecosystem is good for your immune system as your body becomes more balanced with the local environment as the bees collect pollen from local plants. If you've got mild allergies, eating a little bit of pollen from the plants that give you problems can help your body create an immunity. Tom Ogren, a California horticulturalist and botanist, advocates for the use of small amounts of local (like a few mile radius from your home) to help with allergies. If you have severe allergies you need to be really careful as eating a small amount could cause an adverse reaction so act with caution. UrbanSweet Honey, although lightly filtered still contains pollen, bees wax and propolis, all good things for the immune system.

How local is local?

Bees live in a 2-3 mile radius from their hive so if you want to be truly hardcore, this is what local means to ensure the pollen you're eating is from the plants you encounter. Of course where you live, work and travel affects what local means in this case. Most artisan honeys that you'll find at the farmers market could be local but there are different kinds of bee keepers (or apiarists) which you should know about to help you with your decisions:

1) Migratory - these bee keepers travel up and down the coast to let their bees live in different areas during different season, from California to the BC interior. In this case 'local' doesn't mean much unless you're a gypsy or a rolling stone.

2) Stationary - these bee keepers live and keep their bees in one place, thus local is the radius of how far the bees travel.

In Vancouver there are a few urban bee keepers. Apparently there are bees in Strathcona Community Garden, in addition to bee hives on the roof of the Fairmont Vancouver and the new Vancouver Convention Center. We've seen honey bees on our green roof, so they are getting around!

Top 3 things I love about UrbanSweet Honey

1) The honey is so rich and smooth, the taste lingers ever so slightly and lasts in a good way.

2) Local - as local as it gets, did I mention it's good? Really good!

3) Clean - UrbanSweet is processed in a professional certified food products facility. No need to worry if dem dirty as dreadlocks from the farmers market are getting up in your food.

Denman Island Chocolate were one of the first organic chocolate businesses in Canada and helped to lead the natural and organic food movement here in BC. Their founder Daniel is a great guy who has always been helpful to me with my business. Not only a nice guy, Daniel is a great chocolatier who makes damb tastey chocolate bars. A couple years ago I hosted an organic chocolate tasting party with a bunch of my friends and collegues who hands down chose Denman Island Chocolate as their favorite tasting chocolate bar!

Top 5 things we love about Denman Island Chocolate

1) Namaste - their organic chocolate Buddha with hazelnut belly is rad. We like to throw those in random corporate gifts just for fun to put smiles on people's faces

2) Rich and smooth taste won the Saul Good chocolate taste test hands down

3) Local ingredients - using local organic BC hazelnuts in some of their bars wins high praise with our standards

4) Ride on! Daniel loads up his bike trailer with outgoing orders for shipping at the Denman Island post office, saweet.

5) Roots natty roots - we totally respect how they were the first in what has become a growing and significant industry in the organic food movement.

Is sustainable business possible or just a load of garbage? TerraCycle is proving that it is not only possible but a competitive way to create value in lots of places. With a robust business model that pays organizations for their waste and turns organic waste into natural fertilizer products TerraCycle has a win win.

A robust and simple business model

1) get paid to collect organic waste from restaurants, food manufacturers, produce distributors, etc

2) pay organizations for their plastic beverage bottles

3) clean the bottles and take off the labels

4) fill the bottles with 'compost tea', a liquid nutrient from the composting of organic waste

5) put a new label on to the reused plastic bottle

TerraCycle has been extremely successful for their innovation in this space, a working example of how industrial ecology can be applied into robust business models, using waste from other companies as inputs into the products being manufactured. In this case they've not only integrated the use of organic waste from various commercial and industrial activities but also the reuse of plastic bottles and packaging from consumers. TerraCycle pays organizations for their bottles, great for school fundraisers teaching children a creative and essential way to look at business.

GreenOne Ventures is an amazing local company with deep committments to sustainability. After meeting at Sustainability 2.0 and talking more with GreenOne founder Melissa Blyth I was quick to realize a great opportunity to work together. Not only are GreenOne bags super stylie, fashion forward, and practical but also locally manufactured while supporting the local arts community. Melissa is commited to having a positive impact on the world as seen by the depth of her consideration in sourcing materials and partners in this enterprise. Saul Good is happy to announce that we've started to offer her bags, not only as great gifts on their own, but also as packaging options for our corporate gifts, gourmet gift baskets and boxes.

Supporting the local arts community

To ensure that GreenOne has a positive impact on our local community Melissa founded Give A Shirt, a social venture that hires local DTES artists such as the infamous Ken Foster, Garnet Tobacco and Lauren Javor. Proceeds from the sale of each shirt go directly to the artists as royalties and a portion of profits from the program go into a social venture fund to address social and economic development issues in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Top 5 things we like about Green One

1. Funky designs from local artists
2. Functional, comfortable to carry, even a couple great places to stash a bottle of wine or two
3. Sustainable materials - the conventional cotton industry uses 16% of the world's chemical pesticide use¹, damaging fresh water sources, the health of farmers and our ecology as a whole. Feel good about purchasing organic cotton, it's making Earth a better place to live.
4. Social justice - The Give a Shirt program is rad! Support for local artists and opportunties for residents in the downtown eastside helps to create an inclusive community that empowers people and values diversity.
5. Reusable shopping bags eliminate the need for plastic bags. Every time you use a GreenOne bag it reduces the need for plastic bags by 2. Plastic comes from oil/gas and we're running out of that. GreenOne helps you to be part of the solution, and do it in style!