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Not many people can say they香蕉视频直播檙e the big cheese. But Nanaimo香蕉视频直播檚 Eric McLean sure can and he has the T-shirt to prove it.

香蕉视频直播淧eople get a good chuckle out of it and it helps me stand out,香蕉视频直播� laughs Eric, who started McLean香蕉视频直播檚 Specialty Foods 27 years ago.

The Glasgow native was even inducted into the Guilde des Fromagers, or 香蕉视频直播渃heese hall of fame,香蕉视频直播� five years ago. And his passion for good food is contagious.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 like one of my customers said the other day 香蕉视频直播� life香蕉视频直播檚 too short to eat bad cheese,香蕉视频直播� Eric says.

The idea for the specialty foods store, located in Nanaimo香蕉视频直播檚 Old City Quarter, was actually the result of Eric and his wife, Sandy, being unable to find ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, prosciutto and good cheese when they moved to the Harbour City almost three decades ago.

香蕉视频直播淲hen we moved here from Vancouver 28 years ago there was nothing,香蕉视频直播� explains Eric. 香蕉视频直播淲e just realized there was a big hole in the market. It香蕉视频直播檚 hard to believe, but before I opened the store in 1992 you couldn香蕉视频直播檛 even buy balsamic vinegar and nobody knew what San Pellegrino was.香蕉视频直播�

For Eric, who香蕉视频直播檇 worked in the food industry since immigrating to Canada in 1980, opening the store 香蕉视频直播渉ad to be done香蕉视频直播� and he says many of his first customers had also recently moved to Nanaimo from larger cities like Vancouver and Toronto.

香蕉视频直播淟ike us, they香蕉视频直播檇 moved here and couldn香蕉视频直播檛 find what they were used to buying,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 promoted the store at first as a place to get hard-to-find ingredients.香蕉视频直播�

With around 150 different kinds of cheese 香蕉视频直播� one of the largest selections on Vancouver Island 香蕉视频直播� as well as gourmet oils, vinegars, truffles, p芒t茅s, a delicatessen and wide assortment of Danish, British, European and South African specialty items, McLean香蕉视频直播檚 has attracted a loyal following over the years and a surprising number of new customers.

香蕉视频直播淓very single day for the past 20-plus years, we香蕉视频直播檝e had at least one person, and usually several, say: 香蕉视频直播極h this is great, we香蕉视频直播檝e never been here before香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播楩riends told us about this place, we just moved here,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Eric says. 香蕉视频直播淓very single day, without a lie, so can you imagine what that does for our confidence. We香蕉视频直播檙e doing something right and the positive reinforcement has been phenomenal.香蕉视频直播�

But running a small business isn香蕉视频直播檛 easy. In the beginning, sourcing the products was the biggest challenge. However, now the challenge is competing with grocery and big box stores that have big buying power and are now carrying more specialty items.

香蕉视频直播淚n the last three-to-five years, supermarkets have suddenly discovered things like balsamic vinegar and prosciutto,香蕉视频直播� explains Eric. 香蕉视频直播淭he biggest challenge is supermarkets have realized specialty foods are part of a growing market. But their main motivation is price and they can香蕉视频直播檛 tell you what to do with the product.香蕉视频直播�

While Eric says he usually can香蕉视频直播檛 compete on price, he can offer something chain stores can香蕉视频直播檛 香蕉视频直播� specialized service and extensive product knowledge.

香蕉视频直播淲e can spend time with the customer and tell them what to do with the product, share recipes and share our experiences using it. And that has given us the edge,香蕉视频直播� Eric says. 香蕉视频直播淚 teach my staff to get to know our customers and to treat them like they香蕉视频直播檙e important, because they are. I may sign their paycheque but I don香蕉视频直播檛 pay them. I tell staff to always remember the customer pays them.香蕉视频直播�

Eric says the most important lesson he香蕉视频直播檚 learned in running the business has been to trust his instincts. But the best advice came decades ago, when he was still in Scotland and training in sales, from a man who would become his mentor.

香蕉视频直播淗is name was George Burrows and he told me never, ever bullshit the customer because it will come back to haunt you,香蕉视频直播� Eric says. 香蕉视频直播淲e were in a shop one time calling on a good customer he香蕉视频直播檇 had for a good number of years, and the owner was going to order this and that [from us] and George told him not to order it because it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a good fit for the store. I asked George what the heck he was doing because I thought we needed every sale we could get, and he told me that if he goes back next month and it香蕉视频直播檚 still sitting there on the shelf, the customer isn香蕉视频直播檛 going to be happy. 香蕉视频直播楬e香蕉视频直播檚 going to be really pissed off if I sold him something for the sake of selling something.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

The conversation has definitely stuck with Eric, whose other passion is music. He香蕉视频直播檚 been playing guitar since he was 13 years old, including a stint professionally, and is one of the co-founders of the Nanaimo Blues Festival. His other claim to fame is launching Mott香蕉视频直播檚 Clamato on Vancouver Island when he worked for Cadbury-Schweppes years ago.

香蕉视频直播淚 learned an awful lot about product margins, how to merchandise product and how you can increase sales by moving product and repositioning it 香蕉视频直播� because the location of the product is really key,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 like to get a product that looks nice because basically it香蕉视频直播檚 fighting for its life to get someone to pick it up. So the better or more interesting it looks, the better chance it has of finding a home.香蕉视频直播�

After almost three decades in business, it香蕉视频直播檚 clear Eric has found his home. But the grandfather of three isn香蕉视频直播檛 planning to retire anytime soon.

香蕉视频直播淧eople ask me if I have an exit strategy and I say, 香蕉视频直播榟ow do you spell that? We香蕉视频直播檙e going to keep on doing what we香蕉视频直播檙e doing and trying to stay ahead of the curve.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

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