Oct/Nov 2015 Feb/Mar 2015 | Page 14

supporting . As well , customers are ever increasingly concerned about where their food comes from — energized to buy locally made products , as well as those made with healthier , more natural ingredients .
Gourmet Inspirations follows suit , using no preservatives or artificial colours ; the sauces ’ bright hues are owed simply to ingredients like golden yellow turmeric powder , or beets . Fehr makes a point of sourcing local ingredients .
His approach is certainly grassroots . Generation Green at the Forks helped launch the Gourmet Inspirations brand , which is now carried in 11 specialty food retailers in Winnipeg , Steinbach , and Boissevain . He has also been devoutly making the Farmers ’ Market circuit , and praises the foodsources
personal connections these markets enable vendors to make with customers .
Bouncing ideas around with other new culinary upstarts has also led to collaboration on Love Local MB , an event co-organized this spring by Fehr and Bessie Hatizitrifonos of Bessie ’ s Best , a local line of Mediterranean dips and sauces . A market-style set up of more than 20 vendors at the Winnipeg Winter Club offered a chance for potential customers to browse and sample plenty of Manitoba made products , to the tune of live music and a free glass of wine .
“ We always wanted it to be a celebration of local food ,” Fehr says . The super-sized farmers market , poised to recur annually , is about bringing together the wealth of Manitoba food producers and enjoying the
bounty .
There ’ s plenty still on the horizon for Fehr . In the fall , he will be hosting a 10 day luxury food tour through Sicily . The trip will take gourmands through the Italian island ’ s estate wineries and farms , as well as collaborative cooking classes with a local Sicilian chef .
Other items in the works include developing a dessert sauce for sale next Christmas , launching an online store , and working to develop a sauce of the month club , a service he hopes to eventually curate while featuring multiple brands .
But with every venture , the aim is clear . The ethos of Gourmet Inspirations is providing a creative way to make dinner fun , a reason to sit down together , and a great way for ’ Peggers to love their community .

HEAT

THINGS UP

AT THE PARK CAFÉ

Warm up from the inside out ! Enjoy a hearty bowl of soup , a steamy cup of loose leaf tea , or a cozy mug of delicious hot chocolate .
SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH OPEN DAILY 8AM – 4PM
located next to the Riley Family Duck Pond
assiniboinepark . ca
12 ciao ! / feb / mar / two thousand fifteen