THIS BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SHINES ON
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A handful of local businesses will once again have the opportunity to show Ontario what Muskoka is made of…or at least what is made here.
The annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, held this year from November 2-11 at Toronto’s Enercare Centre, includes a Northern Ontario Agri-food Pavilion that features more than 50 exhibitors. Among them are five from the Huntsville area—BeeBAGZ, a made-in-Huntsville alternative to single-use plastic bags; Best Ever, nuts and seeds packaged in Port Sydney; The Frying Dutchman Co., Huntsville’s only vegan food truck; Morgan House Wool Works Studio, wool art created in Huntsville; and Wild Muskoka Botanicals, artisan wild foods and cocktail mixers produced in Dwight.
The pavilion is the largest exhibit at the fair and is made possible via $526,800 funding from FedNor, which makes it an affordable venture for small businesses.
Best Ever will be there for the second time this year, for the full ten days of the fair, after a successful five-day run there in 2017.
“Last year was a tremendous success for not only selling product but for making connections,” says Best Ever owner, Matt Richter.
But more than that, it’s reason for all of the local businesses attending to celebrate the level of food and agriculture entrepreneurship in Muskoka, says Richter. “People (attending the fair) are really impressed and surprised at the extent of food businesses in Muskoka and further north. There was this really heartfelt, sincere enthusiasm for the variety of different food products and services this area offers.”
Richter encourages anyone attending the Royal to stop by the Northern Ontario Agri-food Pavilion to not only see what Muskoka has to offer, but how local businesses are working with other vendors at the fair to promote northern food production.
As for Best Ever, Richter says the business is gaining momentum—production has tripled over last year, necessitating a move to new commercial kitchen space, and it is now available in almost 100 retail locations, a target he didn’t think he’d hit quite this soon.
Best Ever continues to build into other markets, including restaurants and other hospitality venues like ski resorts, and golf courses, while maintaining the things that set the brand apart—using locally sourced maple syrup and soaking and dehydrating its nuts and seeds to improved both texture and digestion.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair was established in 1922 and features more than one million square feet of displays and competition facilities. It attracts approximately 300,000 visitors each year. Learn more about Best Ever at besteverfood.ca or on Facebook, or on Instagram @besteverfoodmuskoka.
Bill Beatty says
Absolutely , without question ,Matt has the Finest Nuts in Muskoka and maybe The Planet…..Eat Vegan….save The Planet so We can eat Matt’s Nuts !