MELLOW YELLOW
Barrel-churned in Stirling, Ont., Churn84 has quickly become the butter of choice for bakers and chefs. The European-style product offers a higher butterfat content — 82 per cent compared to the North American standard of 80 per cent — and 20 per cent less moisture than typical high-output butters.
Three years ago, Stirling Creamery, parent company of Churn84, discovered the challenges of finding a reliable source of European-produced butter and took matters into its own hands. “We found there was a fair amount of imported butter coming into Canada because we didn’t have all the products we should have in our portfolio to meet operator needs,” says Greg Nogler, VP of marketing at Stirling. Churn84 can now be found in restaurants and hotels across Canada including Four Seasons hotels and renowned Toronto-based Nadege pâtisserie. Churn84 enjoys its strongest popularity in the Ontario marketplace and, more recently, in Quebec. “That’s a good indicator because Quebecers know good food,” says Nogler. Churn84 also recently registered a trademark in the U.S. and has plans for American expansion in the next 18 months,
MIXING IT UP
While the Caesar boasts the title of most popular cocktail in Canada — more than 350 million consumed each year — the country’s leading mass-market Caesar mix is actually made south of the border. For childhood friends Aaron Harowitz and Zack Silverman, this was a bone of contention. So in 2013, the B.C. natives gave up their days jobs (Silverman was a lawyer and Horowitz ran a design studio) and set off on their quest to produce a completely Canadian Caesar mix.
The result, Walter All-Natural Craft Caesar Mix, is Canada’s first all-natural craft Caesar mix. Made in small batches using ingredients such as vine-ripened tomatoes, grated horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and Ocean Wise-certified clam juice from a sustainable fishery, Walter has become a bar staple across the country. “We currently have Walter in more than 150 bars in Toronto alone,” says Horowitz.
