Full of Flavour

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For every meal, there is a condiment that can add a little extra pizazz. What hamburger is complete without mustard? Charcuterie minus pepper jelly? Mac ‘n’ cheese bereft of hot sauce? In the foodie paradise of Parksville Qualicum Beach, you can find delicious, locally made condiments for all of the above meals to bring your cooking to the next level.

Yellow Deer Mustard in Qualicum Beach makes mustard—not your ordinary, boring mustard, but gourmet mustard in various flavours to keep things interesting. Each small batch is created free of additives and preservatives, and all are vegan (except the honey one). Think outside the box when you shop and pick up a jar of curry mustard, whisky maple mustard or even dill pickle mustard.

Tim and Nat started the company just prior to the pandemic, but the delicious flavours quickly took off and are now available at over 60 locations throughout the Island and the mainland. You can even experience their mustard in specials at the popular Q Burger restaurant. Despite the rapid growth, the business has remained a two-person operation, with Tim producing and labeling all the mustard, and Nat taking care of the bookkeeping, sales and marketing. They love that they can run the business from Qualicum Beach, an area they fell in love with in 2011. “Why would we want to be anywhere else? People spend their hard-earned vacation here!”

Turn to Catie’s Dilled Beans (also in Qualicum Beach) for the ultimate “dilled” experience—dilled asparagus, anyone? Catie started her business as a home-based venture, but it has grown into a small empire in its own right, with many local restaurants using her products and retailers across the Island selling them as well. She takes great pride in supporting local farmers and keeping her environmental footprint small, even offering a jar recycling program. “Being passionate about food production here, and being able to offer premium locally made food products to my community and Vancouver Island, has always been a huge part of what inspires me,” Catie says. Catie also has a line of pepper jellies that are an absolute must when it comes to creating an unforgettable charcuterie spread. Blueberry garbeno, cranberry jalapeno, and other flavours are perfect for slathering on a cracker or using to zest up a dish while you’re cooking.

While we’re on the topic of spice: Vancouver Island Hot Sauce Company located in Nanoose Bay are experts on heating things up. Sourcing peppers from their own land and other B.C. growers, they warn you that their Owl’s Screech sauce may cause you to do just that—screech—and their Breath of Humbaba sauce may just light your breath on fire. The company actually started as a party favour at their wedding—they spent a year creating the perfect sauce, called Red Hot Monogamy (which further developed into Owl’s Screech). You can buy their products at a variety of Island retailers, or experience their hot sauce in dishes at both Fern + Cedar Brewing Company and Realm Food Co.

These delicious condiments, along with others not mentioned, can be found in the region and at retailers across Vancouver Island. Pick up local meat and produce to cook up a fresh dinner and complement the flavours with any of these creative, complementary condiments.

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