- Words by Joanne Peters Photography by Lia Crowe

Sisters Nora Iliakis and Jenny Siormanolakis have shared a love of food for as long as they can remember. When they werenB次元官网网址檛 cooking by their parentsB次元官网网址� sides while growing up, they were helping out at their familyB次元官网网址檚 Greek restaurant. Time and again, customers and friends would ask them, B次元官网网址淲hat is it that makes Greek lemon potatoes so good?B次元官网网址� If youB次元官网网址檝e ever been to Greece or dined at a taverna, youB次元官网网址檝e likely had the deeply flavourful dish of citrusy-garlicky golden-roasted spuds.

Greek lemon potatoes are so delicious because they soak up all the juicy flavours of the aromatic broth in which theyB次元官网网址檙e cooked. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not especially hard to make, but home cooks often simply donB次元官网网址檛 have the time or the know-how. But Nora and Jenny are making it easier for people to whip up the dish thatB次元官网网址檚 as much a part of their culinary roots as tzatziki, souvlaki and moussaka. The two form the entrepreneurial duo behind , a Vancouver-based company that crafts a line of fine seasoning blends.

Greko Lemon Roast Potatoes Seasoning is Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚 signature item. All it takes for people to make the namesake dish at home is to dissolve some of the seasoning in a mix of olive oil and water, pour the liquid over chopped potatoes in a pan, and bake. ItB次元官网网址檚 foolproof.

And the seasoning salt essentially saved the company from falling prey to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

B次元官网网址淭he pandemic was our silver lining,B次元官网网址� Nora says.

HereB次元官网网址檚 the back story. The womenB次元官网网址檚 parents hail from Veroia, Imathias in northern Greece and came to Canada with strong connections to their culture, including its cuisine. The family ran their Greek restaurant for some 40 years, selling it in 2014. In 2004, the two women were given the chance to take over Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚 Seasonings Inc., which was founded by Jim Voulides, their late Uncle Jimmy. A former master chef with more than three decadesB次元官网网址� experience at steakhouses across Canada and the US, he was a visionary at the time, having been the first locally to make a versatile, wholesale no-MSG-added seasoning, launching the company in 1995.

At the time, Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚 consisted of a single product: the original All-Purpose Seasoning Salt. The all-natural product can be used prior to grilling or roasting and to flavour sauces, dressings, marinades, soups, stews and more; it can be sprinkled on French fries or potato wedges. The OG seasoning was and still is a hit: itB次元官网网址檚 the companyB次元官网网址檚 bestseller.

The pandemic, however, upended everything. Prior to the spring of 2020, Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚 was primarily a wholesale business. The then-unfathomable era of lockdowns and isolation meant the team had to pivot, quickly, to retail to survive. While stores were keen to carry Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚, they needed more than a single item. ThatB次元官网网址檚 when the womenB次元官网网址攂oth working momsB次元官网网址攖urned to the dish they know so well and love.

B次元官网网址淎ll of a sudden it hit me,B次元官网网址� Jenny says. B次元官网网址淚 said, B次元官网网址榃e need to do Greek lemon potatoes.B次元官网网址� But because the flavour comes from soaking up the juice, I thought, B次元官网网址業t canB次元官网网址檛 just be a seasoning you shake on. ItB次元官网网址檚 got to dissolve in water and olive oil to make the juice, then you pour it over and bake.B次元官网网址� I still have the piece of paper that I wrote my notes down on that say, B次元官网网址業t has to have tangB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址業t has to be the perfect colour.B次元官网网址� That was the aha moment. I told my sister: B次元官网网址楾his is a winner.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 turned into so much more than a seasoning for potatoes,B次元官网网址� she adds. B次元官网网址淵ou can cook your proteins with it; you can add it to prawns. You can add it to one-pan meals. You can use it for chicken breasts or lamb or tofu. IB次元官网网址檝e used it to fill samosas. IB次元官网网址檝e mashed the potatoes with it; IB次元官网网址檝e done savoury pie tarts. My mom adds it to hummus. You can do riceB次元官网网址� You name it.B次元官网网址�

The product is also a boon to people who follow plant-based diets becauseB次元官网网址攚hile conventional Greek lemon potatoes are made with chicken stockB次元官网网址擥randpa JB次元官网网址檚 seasoning is suitable for vegans.

The also team created Vancity Grind, a coarse rub perfect for steak and other grilled foods, as well as an excellent rim for Caesar cocktails.

The launch of the product line exceeded the womenB次元官网网址檚 expectations, initially being stocked in 30 stores.

B次元官网网址淭he momentum didnB次元官网网址檛 stop until 90,B次元官网网址� Nora says.

Now, the blends are in more than 125 stores in Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan, without any distributor on boardB次元官网网址攁nd thatB次元官网网址檚 just through the two womenB次元官网网址檚 efforts. Next up is Vancouver Island, and then: who knows? Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚 may make its way all across Canada. The 100 per cent female owned- and -operated business is also reinvigorating its wholesale division, with many restaurants adding it to their pantries.

B次元官网网址淥ur seasonings are always in season,B次元官网网址� Jenny says.

Grandpa JB次元官网网址檚 Greko Lemon Roast Potatoes Seasoning was a top-10 finalist for BC Food and BeverageB次元官网网址檚 2022 Product of the Year. Another fan of the blend is Michael Varga, Chopped Canada winner and MasterChef Canada finalist.

The company has received other high praise.

B次元官网网址淩yan Reynolds posted our Vancity Grind to his Instagram,B次元官网网址� Jenny says. B次元官网网址淗e posted a picture of the Vancity Grind with a little caption that said, B次元官网网址業f this wasnB次元官网网址檛 so good, IB次元官网网址檇 be upset about the name.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�.I felt like I had won the lottery. It was insane. Stores sold out immediately.B次元官网网址�

Adds Nora: B次元官网网址淩yan Reynolds sent people into 125 small businesses, because thatB次元官网网址檚 where weB次元官网网址檙e mostly stocked. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what matters most.B次元官网网址�

Then there are so many everyday cooks who have fallen in love with the products.

B次元官网网址淲e get a lot of potato pictures sent to us,B次元官网网址� Jenny says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 such a compliment to us. We love it. WeB次元官网网址檙e honoured when people share what theyB次元官网网址檝e made with us.B次元官网网址�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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