Jason Grant (BSc'11 and MSc'13, both in Agriculture) is spicing things up in Nova Scotia鈥檚 agricultural industry.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had a love for hot peppers and the spirit for entrepreneurialism,鈥� says Grant, who was born in Halifax but raised in Cape Breton. 鈥淚t seemed like the right combination to start a local business.鈥�
In 2006, Grant and his wife, Fran, moved to Truro so he could attend what was then NSAC. 鈥淔ran and I had been managing an inn and caf茅 in Cape Breton,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen we realized the seasonal work wasn鈥檛 sustainable, I decided to go back to school."
While he was attending the AC, his wife was working at Frank and Gino鈥檚 restaurant. There, Grant met his future business partner, John Killawee, and the idea for PepperHead was born.
The two discovered that they had a common love of spicy food. Grant had been looking for uses for the flavourful habanero pepper, and their experimentation began. Grant, who completed聽a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture majoring in Plant Sciences and a Master of Science in extensive green roofing, became inspired by spices after taking a course in native species.
鈥淛ohn and I picked a couple buckets of chokecherries and made our first jelly, which we called the Haba-Choke-a-Lemon-Ero,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was pretty good for a first attempt!鈥�
Spicing things up
In 2013, the duo launched PepperHead thanks to hard work, late nights and trial by fire. PepperHead products are sold in select locations in the Halifax area, including Local Source, Pete鈥檚 Frootique in Bedford and Liquid Gold, as well as at several markets and festivals.
鈥淪tarting a business has its challenges, but the support we鈥檝e received from our family, friends and customers has meant a great deal,鈥� says Grant. 鈥淧eople get excited when we tell them what we鈥檙e doing, and that keeps us moving forward.鈥�
One of the most memorable challenges was getting their products ready for Christmas last year, which involved 19-hour workdays. They spent two weeks making and packaging 2,500 jars of products such as Bengali Bluenoser Habanero Chutney, Cranberry Lemon Habanero Jelly and Wild Blueberry Maple Habanero Jelly 鈥� just to make it through the busy season.
Now, flash back to 2006, when Grant had enrolled at the AC with no specific career in mind but knowing he had a budding passion for plants. 鈥淭he AC helped open my mind and think outside of the box, which I hadn鈥檛 done in years,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ot only was I exposed to parts of agriculture I didn鈥檛 even know existed, but it also opened me up to an entirely different realm of people.鈥�
Grant values the six years he spent at the Agricultural Campus. 鈥淭he curriculum, the small class sizes and the people the campus attracts fosters a supportive and unique academic experience,鈥� he says. 鈥淪tudents and professors would come and go from the campus, but it didn鈥檛 matter if they were only there for a year, they impacted my life at that moment.鈥�
He spent his summers managing the campus demonstration garden, which is where his passion for vegetable horticulture took hold and his love for hot peppers was born. 鈥淢y experience at the AC has entirely informed my business and no doubt will continue to do so.鈥�
Hopes for growth
Grant plans to grow his venture but realizes there will be hurdles.
鈥淥ur hope is for PepperHead is to expand across the province, the Atlantic provinces and nationally鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut like many start-ups, figuring out efficient distribution methods will be challenging.鈥� His future vision isn鈥檛 solely based on expanding the numbers of products made and sold.
鈥淲e鈥檒l continue to hire local and partner local. We want PepperHead to be the kind of business that treats people well and is a fun place to work.鈥�