Manning Canning

Pull up a chair and eavesdrop on my conversation with Darren Portelli, the founder of Crazy D's Sparkling Prebiotic Soda where we get deep into the beverage category. Wednesday, August 14th at 2pm.

It's gonna be a doozy!

I will never not feel PROUD when I see our products on the shelves or when good friends (see 2nd shot) send me photos of themselves looking so happy to see it on the shelves there.

Remember to celebrate your successes because right on the tail of a win is usually something challenging. Don’t let the challenging take all of your energy.

So what win will you celebrate today?

Sometimes you really have to look for the rainbow.

Co-packing some Ontario grown Jalapeños in the kitchen this week, aptly named “Candied Menace”. will be bringing these to in just a few weeks. You are going to want to snap up a jar. Sweet with HEAT.

Every time I try one I wish it were attached to a slice of pizza 🍕.

On Wednesday at 2pm EST, I sit down with Jacqueline the founder of Alberta based . We are going to dive into what it's like working with a distributor, coding your own software to make heads or tails of billback reports and I am sure we will touch on a few other things. You aren't going to want to miss it.

Look what’s back in stock and only available online through our site or

Join 2 seasoned CPG Founders as we swap stories about the hills we have climbed in growing our CPG businesses.

And hear firsthand from Kris, founder of about the growth of his sauce business, opening (his own restaurant) and how all of the hustle took a toll on his mind and body.

I can't wait to have this conversation and shed some light on the struggles small businesses face.

The phone lines are open and the waiting list is live. If you want a jar of our limited edition black currant jam be sure to jump into my DM’s. I will connect with you as soon as the jam has set. Each jar will be $10 and only available through our web site.

I grow the back currants in my yard and pick them as well. Tonight’s harvest was picked while listening to . Will that impact their flavour, likely not. Did it impact my enjoyment while picking, 100%.

So slide into my DM’s with ‘black currant’ and you will get a response as soon as they are available on the site.

I am going live next week (Wednesday 3:30pm) with the founder of and on my next episode of Behind the Curtain.

Kris and I have never met but his generosity has already had an impact on me and my business, so I look forward to connecting with him live to hear more about his journey to date and what his plans for the future entail.

Every single step of entrepreneurship requires grit and COURAGE. Seema Pabari had the courage it took to make a very hard decision. Join us on Wednesday at 11am as we discuss what factors led her to close the doors of her Certified B Corp Heat and Eat Vegan Stew business.

F.O.U.N.D.E.R Friday is here again and today I am happy to introduce you to Karolina of .ca. We asked her 3 questions about her business.

1) Why did you start your business?
Many people find home cooking intimidating, often avoiding kitchen experiments or seeking shortcuts for flavour. That’s why The Spice Drawer was created: to inspire culinary creativity and provide an easy, instant flavour boost. These unique seasoning blends and toppers transform meals effortlessly. Currently, we offer four unique takes on the classic Everything Bagel Mix as well as eight mouthwatering blends for everyday cooking. As a food enthusiast, I aim to show that home cooking can be easy, accessible, and most of all, delicious!

2) What makes your products different/special?
The brand was crafted to be truly unique, setting us apart from other seasoning blends on the market. Here’s what you get with The Spice Drawer products:
-Local Toronto artisanal craftsmanship, made in small batches
- Proudly Canadian, working exclusively with Canadian suppliers
- Contemporary twists on your favourite classics and irresistible flavour innovations
- Effortless enjoyment and a cure for culinary monotony in every blend
- Precision perfected through rigorous product testing
- Experience the difference with our seasonings!

3) Where could someone buy your products?

Discover the full range of our products on our website: www.thespicedrawer.ca For a more personal touch, find us at artisanal markets around Toronto, like Bellwoods Trinity Park on July 14th from 11am-5pm. Stay updated on all of our market appearances by following us on Instagram .ca

Mark July 10th at 11am in your calendars because in the next Behind the Curtain, I am speaking with my friend Seema Pabari about how she came to the decision to close down her heat and eat vegan stew business. Tiffinday was a Certified B Corp and was sold in specialty stores across Ontario - Including Whole Foods. But rising input costs among other things made Seema sit down and evaluate the future ahead.

We will dive into the deciding factors, the challenges facing food entrepreneurs and how quickly the landscape is changing.

Follow Seema to see what her life after food looks like.

Mark it in your calendars - because tomorrow Murray () and I are going to talk about life on the farm. What it takes to open and run a successful butcher shop and how many hands make light work.

Oooohweee! Next week I speak with one of my favourite people - Farmer Murray Thunberg of .

Murray and I met at and I think it is safe to say it was love at first site. Over the past 10 years Murray has gone from raising chickens and selling his heritage eggs, to bringing in registered pig breeds that were not available in Ontario to opening his own Butcher Shop in Hamilton, to having a home in St. Lawrence Market.

And he did it all while having the biggest smile on his face and the warmest heart you could possibly imagine. We will talk farming and some of the realities of a life in food. Join us for what is sure to be a lively conversation next Wednesday.

An appreciation post to for always supporting their local suppliers in a meaningful way.

What does bravery look like to you? To me - taking the chance to pursue a dream like your very own storefront requires SO MUCH bravery. I can't wait to dive into this with Olga of Salt & Mustard on Wednesday. Hope you will join us.

Just over a week ago Olga, founder of Salt & Mustard celebrated her 1 year anniversary of her storefront on Jane Street. Join us next Wednesday at 2pm as she shares her story of going from markets and shows to bricks and mortar.

We still have cases on sale for $12/case. Get them while you can.

Did you know that nearly 60% of food produced for Canadians, amounting to 35.5 million tonnes, is lost and wasted annually. Of this, 32% or 11.2 million tonnes is still edible and could be redirected to support people in our communities. (Source ).

And one of the major factors contributing to this waste is ‘best before dates’. I have spoken about them here before and how important I believe it is that we re-look at how we label our food.

Well .can is working to do something about it. Their campaign which started this week has some selected items across the country featuring a sticker inviting consumers to look, smell, or taste a product if its “best before” date has passed before throwing it out.

What do think think about ‘best before’ dates and the food waste they are creating?

13 years ago today - me and this amazing man got married in our backyard. To say that he makes me a better person, doesn’t even begin to describe the wonderful life (and business) we have built together.

Happy Anniversary

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxox

Growing slow - that seems to be counterintuitive to most entrepreneurs, but could this be the secret sauce? Find out on Wednesday when Drew and I ( ) dive into the reasons behind this concept and how it has worked for him.

I am really excited to be talking LIVE next Wednesday at 2pm with Drew Jacobson from

Drew wants us all to re-think hot sauce and I can't wait to share his story with all of you. Be sure to join us - it's sure to be spicy!

I am excited (and a little nervous) to be speaking with Trish Bower, founder of this Wednesday on Instagram live at 2pm.

I’m excited because Trish is amazing and if you decide to drop in I think you are going to learn a LOT about tenacity. I am nervous because I have never done an Instagram live before and quite honestly I am about a week away from a haircut and anyone out there with short hair knows there is a tipping point with short hair that just doesn’t exist with long hair.

So the risk for total disaster on my side is high. For Trish there is no risk because no matter what she does she is always amazing.

I hope you will join us, especially if you are an entrepreneur or are thinking about leaping into the life of entrepreneurship.

Because of the great response and feedback I have received to my posts that dive into the real issues facing food entrepreneurs, I have decided to dive deeper into these topics.

Next Wednesday join Trish Bower, founder of and I as we go LIVE and talk about how important it is to keep an open mind, pay attention to what’s happening around you and be ready to pivot when opportunity arises - no matter how scary the concept might be.

So mark it in your calendars - Wednesday, June 12 at 2pm EST.

Come with questions. We may or may not answer them :).

As a small business owner, what is your relationship to the finances of your business? The honest answer I receive from the majority of my coaching clients is that they don’t have one. So if this sounds like you – you are not alone.

You are probably so busy with the marketing, the making, the selling, the shipping, the everything else-ing, that the number-ing sits in a dark lonely corner that you tend to avoid until it can no longer be avoided.

Do you determine the success of your business by the amount in your bank account at the end of the month?

If you want help ripping this band-aid off, if you want to have a working relationship with the financial side of your business, instead of an avoidance relationship – I can help.

Getting to know your numbers often makes them WAY less intimidating. Let’s walk into the dark lonely corner together and have you come out to the sunshine. It’s way better out here – trust me. Send me a DM and let’s connect.

I know I shouldn’t choose a favourite. But I have. Can you guess which product is my favourite?

Inventory is low on our raspberry jam. If you have never tried it before I can say with all certainty - you are missing out.

I learned to make raspberry jam with my mom and my Nonna using raspberries I just picked from from my Aunt’s garden. It always amazed me how flavour could transport you back in time and place and for me that’s what this product does. It’s summer, it’s family. It’s what made me fall in love with preserving.

Two ingredients - raspberries and sugar.

Get a jar while we still have stock. With raspberries in short supply we aren’t sure when it will be in our kettles next.

When you get multiple facings of one product and you are below Heinz - you celebrate it. Thank you for the love.

Did you know that we do custom orders for weddings, birthdays, corporate events and we can customize the front of the label to includes names, dates or short messages?

Well don’t say we never told you. :)

Pictured here is a custom order of our red pepper jelly, blueberry jam and strawberry jam.

Reach out if you would like more details.

I would like to introduce you to the “Grocery code of conduct”.

If you haven’t heard of it I would highly recommend you take a quick moment to google it. In a nutshell some of the larger chains (Sobeys/Empire Group and Metro) are proposing a code of conduct that all chains must adhere to in their operations.

It aim is really to create a fair playing field and establish rules the majors must follow. This would reduce their ability to transfer unexpected costs to suppliers. See some of my previous posts if this information is new to you.

Countries like the UK and Australia have implemented similar codes. The UK did so in 2010.

Sadly in Canada this code of conduct is at an impasse mainly because Loblaws and Walmart refuse to adhere to it - claiming it will lead to higher prices for consumers.

Results in the UK and Australia show otherwise and now we wait to see if the federal and provincial governments will enshrine it into law.

For interesting coverage of the Grocery Code of Conduct check our articles written in