Story by Devon MacKenzie

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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It was February of 2014 when Hee-Haw Horseradish founders Graham and Pam Bavington held a dinner party featuring the first incarnation of their crowd-pleasing condiment.

香蕉视频直播淚 remember coming downstairs and Graham was in the kitchen, and he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 really cook, so I said to him, 香蕉视频直播榳hat are you doing?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� explains Pam, sitting on the sunny deck of their Oak Bay home. 香蕉视频直播淗e just looked at me and said he was making horseradish and I just walked away.香蕉视频直播�

That night, after encouragement from their friends over a round of prime rib and a few rounds of red wine, Graham was already thinking of ways to take his horseradish production to a commercial level.

香蕉视频直播淚 thought he was nuts,香蕉视频直播� admits Pam, laughing. 香蕉视频直播淏ut it was seriously good horseradish, and it was something we had never been able to find in a grocery store 香蕉视频直播� that was our big motivator.香蕉视频直播�

After the couple experimented with a few batches and perfected the recipe, Graham took it Root Cellar and asked if they香蕉视频直播檇 be interested in stocking the product.

香蕉视频直播淭hey said yes, and that was really the beginning of the whole adventure,香蕉视频直播� Graham says.

With Graham working as a real estate agent and Pam as a physiotherapist, there wasn香蕉视频直播檛 much time to spare in their tight schedule, but they carved out one day a week to spend in a commercial kitchen in Keating to keep their production schedule on track.

香蕉视频直播淗orseradish is a brutal thing to work with,香蕉视频直播� explains Pam. 香蕉视频直播淵ou have to wear gas masks, otherwise you spend the whole time crying. It always amazes me looking back on our days spent in the kitchen with the few hired staff we had to help prep 香蕉视频直播� that was a ton of work but we always did it and we managed to keep our suppliers stocked,香蕉视频直播� she says, smiling.

Aside from getting themselves into Root Cellar, Thrifty Foods, Save-On-Foods and Whole Foods, they were also working hard on the local market circuit with help from their kids, 15-year-old Sarah and 11-year-old Matt.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 probably one of our favourite ways to sell the product because you get direct feedback right then and there,香蕉视频直播� Pam says. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 incredibly satisfying to connect with our customers directly.香蕉视频直播�

Hee-Haw is made with fresh horseradish, which the couple imports from Illinois.

香蕉视频直播淭he key to a good, hot horseradish is growing it somewhere that has a true freezing cycle,香蕉视频直播� Pam explains.

香蕉视频直播淭he freezing cycle encourages the heat, and the horseradish should be in the ground for a good couple of years to be really hot.香蕉视频直播�

But what makes the product a game-changer is the fact they hand-peel all the horseradish they use.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of big companies just throw the whole root in and don香蕉视频直播檛 peel it, but that makes it so much more bitter,香蕉视频直播� says Graham, adding that although tedious, hand-peeling gets the best flavor results.

After making the decision to try and grow the brand, the family decided to pitch Hee-Haw to CBC香蕉视频直播檚 Dragons香蕉视频直播� Den. They were asked to present on the show, and four out of five Dragons gave them offers.

香蕉视频直播淲e went with Manjit Minhas because she is well-versed in the food and beverage industry but it just never came to fruition,香蕉视频直播� explains Graham. 香蕉视频直播淲hat an incredible experience, though. Meeting the Dragons was great, and the producers were absolutely amazing. It was a blast.香蕉视频直播�

Despite early successes, the entrepreneurial couple faced a tough year in 2017 with issues around jar sizes and SKU errors, and they say at times, they almost felt like giving up.

香蕉视频直播淲e just felt like we were facing roadblock after roadblock last year and it got tough,香蕉视频直播� admits Graham. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 still just the two of us managing this company, while working and raising two kids. It香蕉视频直播檚 a lot. But we are both still invested in this to make it work and we are always learning and being inspired by it.香蕉视频直播�

Six months ago, they moved production to a federally-inspected and approved kitchen in Vancouver, which opens up where they can distribute their horseradish. It香蕉视频直播檚 still made by hand in small batches, but the federal kitchen designation allows them to qualify for approval by the FDA.

香蕉视频直播淲e are hoping to branch into the U.S. and break into the rest of Canada, so this is the first step in doing that,香蕉视频直播� Graham explains.

But growing their business and chasing their dream also comes some growing pains.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 easy to stay small and sell in the farmer香蕉视频直播檚 markets and local grocery stores,香蕉视频直播� Graham says. 香蕉视频直播淲hat we香蕉视频直播檝e found is that middle ground, where we want to be right now, is very tough to find. You seem to either have to stay small or go huge, and we香蕉视频直播檙e kind of stuck in the middle.香蕉视频直播�

Despite that challenge, Pam says they香蕉视频直播檙e lucky to not be selling in a particularly saturated market.

香蕉视频直播淭here isn香蕉视频直播檛 much competition when it comes to horseradish and I think, ultimately, it香蕉视频直播檚 because it香蕉视频直播檚 not a very nice thing to work with,香蕉视频直播� she laughs.

The product line currently has three varieties 香蕉视频直播� Dam Hot, Double Hot, and Redonkeylously Hot, which are available across B.C. in grocery stores and online from the Hee-Haw website.

As for how they see the company growing in the future?

香蕉视频直播淚 just want to reach that goal of getting our product into the U.S. and the rest of Canada,香蕉视频直播� says Graham. 香蕉视频直播淏eyond that, I don香蕉视频直播檛 even know. With something like this, when you started in such a small way, it香蕉视频直播檚 crazy to think it香蕉视频直播檚 already been as successful as it has. We香蕉视频直播檙e very lucky.香蕉视频直播�