Adam Veen's lifelong hobby has turned out to be one of the hottest new businesses in Lambton County. The 36-year-old owner of Oil Town Brewing Co. has been growing vegetables and using them to make various dishes since he was a child and now his hot sauce is the talk of the town. "Our family has always done hobby gardens," Adam says, "My grandpa and my mom gardened when I was a little kid and I was always helping them in the summer, harvesting the produce to make fresh meals for the family." Adam began growing hot peppers and was in search of a different way to utilize them. "Being a creative type of person, I was playing around with certain things and stumbled across a hot sauce flavour that I enjoyed, and the ball just kept rolling. I would try out different plants each year and different techniques for growing them. I found it interesting and in the end, you can reap the benefits of the hard work you put in during the year."
At first, Adam simply gave away his hot sauce to family members and friends. When the outstanding reviews of his product started rolling in, he chose to start selling it. "The response I got from friends and family was just so positive," Adam says, "I decided it would be great to see what the general public thought about it and the response was fantastic. I was hoping everything would go well and it has been growing ever since."
Adam, who works full-time in marketing for Tourism Sarnia-Lambton, says his side project is growing in leaps and bounds. He rents a certified kitchen in Oil Springs and grows his peppers at home in his backyard as well as at the homes of his parents and a few friends. "Often I start them indoors early in the spring and then transplant them outdoors," Adam says. His hot sauce is mostly sold online (oiltownbrewing.com) as well as by consignment in stores throughout Sarnia-Lambton. He hopes to expand into the county of Chatham-Kent soon.
Oil Town Brewing Co. features 11 different sauces. "One of the best sellers I have is my Pineapple Habanero Sauce," Adam says, "Because it combines the sweetness and the heat of the habaneros, it has been a big seller this summer. It is great for summer barbeques. I also have a barbeque sauce that utilizes hot peppers in it as well. It's a little bit spicier than regular barbeque sauce and that has had an awesome reception from the public."
Other popular sauces include Tropic Thunder Hot Sauce, Ghost of Italy Hot Sauce, Smokin' Hot Sauce, Honey Garlic Sauce, Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce, and Pickled Mustard Sauce. Adam says his greatest reward is the positive feedback he gets from customers. "I love it when people tell me they made a meal and it was absolutely delicious because they used my product."
Jill Hillman wanted to make a splash when she decided to change careers. "I always grew up with pools," Jill says. "I have my own pool and my other half, Brice League, taught me the construction side of things. With the needs in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, I said to Brice, 'W
The next time you are at the hospital, make sure you pop into Poppies, the cozy and eclectic gift shop located in the Atrium. Poppies opened in July of 2010 to coincide with the unveiling of the new Bluewater Health Hospital. "Two...
In 2018, Goodwill Industries Essex Kent Lambton is celebrating 85 years of service to the community. As we celebrate this anniversary, this is an opportunity to look back on some of the successes that we've seen over the years, explains CEO Kevin Smith. In 2008, Goodwill was recognized w
2001 was a big year for Lori Mitchell. It was the year she became a breast cancer survivor. It was also the year she purchased an established mastectomy and medical compression garment facility. "I went through breast cancer, so I thought this was something I could do, wanted to do, and needed to."
When Lisa Isaac found her personal values didn't match with those of the company she worked for, she decided to branch out on her own. "I had not planned to start my own business that soon," says Lisa, who founded Lisa Isaac Human Resources (HR) Professional Services on July 17, 2018. "My pl
Joel Skinner knows his way around a map. When he is not coaching the Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track & Field Club, he is teaching Geography and Physical Education at Great Lakes Secondary School. This knowledge has proven hel...
What started out as simply a love and concern for the environment has turned into a business for Stacey Kindel. Stacey, a full-time employee at Lambton-Kent Midwife Services, originally started making skincare products for herself and friends. Her business, Come Clean, grew from there. When I sta
Granfondo means big bike ride in Italian. With 1,000 participants from Canada, the United States and Mexico challenged to ride 50, 100 or 150 kilometers, the Bluewater International Granfondo (BIG) certainly lives up to its name. Since the inaugural event in 2016, over $80,000 has been raised in support.