Digital

Silver Valley Farms

Website

“Growing the juiciest, plumpest and healthiest blueberries possible is what we do.” This was a great project. I was well supported by the agency that hired me, CREW Marketing who specialize in food. Plus I was writing about a BC business. visit Silver Valley’s website

Cori’s Kitchen

Director of Communications / Writer / Digital Manager

The company needed everything – website, social pages, newsletter, print collateral, packaging – as it expanded its customer base from its single Vancouver grocery store to cover 40+ new stores throughout BC and Alberta. My first challenge was to give them a voice that would establish the Cori brand and guide all future visual and written messaging. From there, I co-ordinated and wrote everything they needed, including their website and social pages. Though they have rebranded to fit their current mandate, they remain, “Fresh, Healthy & Local”.

Stong’s Grocery

Social Media

Stong’s was one of the first grocery stores in BC with social media. It was me who took them from the flyer to digital. I developed their account and grew their social from nothing. I concentrated on Facebook as that’s where owner, Cori Bonina’s customers were. I also helped her take her cooking expertise from her flyer to online so her recipes could always be accessed.

The Great Vallarta Race

Website

“Racing for what matters – Our Puerto Vallarta community is important to us. After you finish the Race we know you’ll feel the same way …” Sad to say, this business is no longer but I can give you a great perk and easily recommend owner, Eric Wichner’s authentic taco tour – Vallarta Eats Food Tours

 

Print

Simon Taylor Designs

Retail Packaging

My client, Lisa Simonsen needed copy for her client’s a new snack, ‘For Crunching Out Loud”. Yes, I crunched as I wrote because it does make a joyful noise and also, it’s good.

New Leaf Pistachios

Retail Packaging

I worked with Matt Creative on this. It was an interesting job as the product is organically grown and imported to Canada from Iran – the only organic pistachios produced in the country and as pistachios are a big internationally exported crop for Iran, this is significant. I had to do some extensive research to understand the market position and learn the difference between California and Iranian pistachios.

Primal Communications

Brochure

Wonderful people at Primal who specialize in tourism material. I was brought in to write the 10 page Vancouver Island food tourism copy for Destination BC’s 2016 print brochure. This was then modified for digital.

Glenburn Soda Fountain

Brochure

Glenburn needed a brochure that focused only on their party service. They have a shop (and it’s way too close to me!) but they do off-site parties – weddings, company picnics, parties etc. My job was to tap into their soda fountain brand but make it mobile. Not so difficult – but when is ice cream ever difficult?

Cori’s Kitchen Orange Juice Promotion

Copywriter / Art Director

“Our juice has character. We’re very proud of it. It’s about as fresh as it could be.. short of setting up in a Florida orange grove …” The company produced fresh squeezed juice daily but the customers didn’t understand why it was always different (good OJ is like wine – terroir and climate influence the fruit). I devised a shelf talker for them and a case insert for the retail staff.

Stong’s Grocery

Ad Copy

“The perfect tonic for a blustery day”. Alongside a picture of Stongs gooey, classic mac & cheese for the November/December issue of Dunbar Life was perfect. I worked with No Shortcuts Design to create a series of full page, seasonal ads for the magazine. We took existing images and created something very inexpensive but clever.

Hot Hucks

Sell Sheet

“A small package with big solutions. Good for you. Good for the planet.” Hot Hucks makes one product in three flavours – a plant-based meat substitute. Owner, Brenda Hotte, had good success with the hospitality business (particularly institutions) for  seven years but wanted a bigger share of the retail market.

Zoom Consulting

Copywriting and Speaker

Zoom is a copywriting and marketing company. I was brought in for my knowledge of the grocery and food industry in BC. Together, owner, Pamela Gossen and I did a presentation about We Heart Local’s future as strong entity in supporting BC artisan food. In addition, I wrote web copy for Zoom’s multinational software client (which had nothing to do with food. So yes, I do write other material).

Magazines & Newspapers

Canadian Grocer

“Move over real estate, location belongs to food and beverage now. In our annual grocery trends forecast, a food’s origins and what it contains (preferably as little as possible) will be top of mind with shoppers …” I’ve written several pieces for this magazine – trends, revitilizing the spice section, getting customers to the centre of store, showcasing local…

Northwest Travel & Life

Northwest Tastemaker – a special edition

“There are people who think it’s fun to walk 10 or 15 miles a day over charred logs of a burned out forest, scratching bug bites and smelling like ripe cheese …” The editor of Northwest Travel & Life contacted me to write about Mikuni Wild Harvest. No problem. As usual, met fascinating people and learned more than I could use.

TWG Tea

“A tea that costs $2500 for 100 g (3.5 oz)? Not exactly a mug of hot water with a bag on a string. Though the two might seem worlds apart, great love for tea is not.” A Cup of Love was the story I wrote about this Vancouver tea emprorium.

Saveur Magazine

Sometimes you just want to be read by a lot of people and Saveur, a Condé Nast publication, has international circulation. My story was about 1930s Canadian produced crocks from Medalta Potteries (in Medicine Hat, Alberta) when fermented food wasn’t yet fashionable. Nobody told my father; he kept on making sauerkraut in those crocks.

Western Living Magazine

“Hear the word mead and you might think of drafty castles and a sweet heavy drink”. I wrote a short story about this honey based wine and drafty castles were the last thing on anyone’s mind. Stop by Tugwell Creek in Sooke, BC and see if I’m not right. I’ve written a few stories for Western Living.

Some other publications I’ve written for…

Taste Magazine (BC Liquor Store)
The Georgia Straight
The Vancouver Sun

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Even though I write many food-related stories for many different streams, the pyschology of the shopper and eater features in all of my work. How we shop, what we choose, the trends that influence us, our responses to our environment, and (of course) the food we eat, is infinitely interesting to me.

A good way to sample my writing is to choose a story of your kind from my blog and enjoy. Because you will.