Story by Devon MacKenzie

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It was February of 2014 when Hee-Haw Horseradish founders Graham and Pam Bavington held a dinner party featuring the first incarnation of their crowd-pleasing condiment.

含羞草研究社淚 remember coming downstairs and Graham was in the kitchen, and he doesn含羞草研究社檛 really cook, so I said to him, 含羞草研究社榳hat are you doing?含羞草研究社櫤�羞草研究社� explains Pam, sitting on the sunny deck of their Oak Bay home. 含羞草研究社淗e just looked at me and said he was making horseradish and I just walked away.含羞草研究社�

That night, after encouragement from their friends over a round of prime rib and a few rounds of red wine, Graham was already thinking of ways to take his horseradish production to a commercial level.

含羞草研究社淚 thought he was nuts,含羞草研究社� admits Pam, laughing. 含羞草研究社淏ut it was seriously good horseradish, and it was something we had never been able to find in a grocery store 含羞草研究社� that was our big motivator.含羞草研究社�

After the couple experimented with a few batches and perfected the recipe, Graham took it Root Cellar and asked if they含羞草研究社檇 be interested in stocking the product.

含羞草研究社淭hey said yes, and that was really the beginning of the whole adventure,含羞草研究社� Graham says.

With Graham working as a real estate agent and Pam as a physiotherapist, there wasn含羞草研究社檛 much time to spare in their tight schedule, but they carved out one day a week to spend in a commercial kitchen in Keating to keep their production schedule on track.

含羞草研究社淗orseradish is a brutal thing to work with,含羞草研究社� explains Pam. 含羞草研究社淵ou have to wear gas masks, otherwise you spend the whole time crying. It always amazes me looking back on our days spent in the kitchen with the few hired staff we had to help prep 含羞草研究社� that was a ton of work but we always did it and we managed to keep our suppliers stocked,含羞草研究社� she says, smiling.

Aside from getting themselves into Root Cellar, Thrifty Foods, Save-On-Foods and Whole Foods, they were also working hard on the local market circuit with help from their kids, 15-year-old Sarah and 11-year-old Matt.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 probably one of our favourite ways to sell the product because you get direct feedback right then and there,含羞草研究社� Pam says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 incredibly satisfying to connect with our customers directly.含羞草研究社�

Hee-Haw is made with fresh horseradish, which the couple imports from Illinois.

含羞草研究社淭he key to a good, hot horseradish is growing it somewhere that has a true freezing cycle,含羞草研究社� Pam explains.

含羞草研究社淭he freezing cycle encourages the heat, and the horseradish should be in the ground for a good couple of years to be really hot.含羞草研究社�

But what makes the product a game-changer is the fact they hand-peel all the horseradish they use.

含羞草研究社淎 lot of big companies just throw the whole root in and don含羞草研究社檛 peel it, but that makes it so much more bitter,含羞草研究社� says Graham, adding that although tedious, hand-peeling gets the best flavor results.

After making the decision to try and grow the brand, the family decided to pitch Hee-Haw to CBC含羞草研究社檚 Dragons含羞草研究社� Den. They were asked to present on the show, and four out of five Dragons gave them offers.

含羞草研究社淲e went with Manjit Minhas because she is well-versed in the food and beverage industry but it just never came to fruition,含羞草研究社� explains Graham. 含羞草研究社淲hat an incredible experience, though. Meeting the Dragons was great, and the producers were absolutely amazing. It was a blast.含羞草研究社�

Despite early successes, the entrepreneurial couple faced a tough year in 2017 with issues around jar sizes and SKU errors, and they say at times, they almost felt like giving up.

含羞草研究社淲e just felt like we were facing roadblock after roadblock last year and it got tough,含羞草研究社� admits Graham. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 still just the two of us managing this company, while working and raising two kids. It含羞草研究社檚 a lot. But we are both still invested in this to make it work and we are always learning and being inspired by it.含羞草研究社�

Six months ago, they moved production to a federally-inspected and approved kitchen in Vancouver, which opens up where they can distribute their horseradish. It含羞草研究社檚 still made by hand in small batches, but the federal kitchen designation allows them to qualify for approval by the FDA.

含羞草研究社淲e are hoping to branch into the U.S. and break into the rest of Canada, so this is the first step in doing that,含羞草研究社� Graham explains.

But growing their business and chasing their dream also comes some growing pains.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 easy to stay small and sell in the farmer含羞草研究社檚 markets and local grocery stores,含羞草研究社� Graham says. 含羞草研究社淲hat we含羞草研究社檝e found is that middle ground, where we want to be right now, is very tough to find. You seem to either have to stay small or go huge, and we含羞草研究社檙e kind of stuck in the middle.含羞草研究社�

Despite that challenge, Pam says they含羞草研究社檙e lucky to not be selling in a particularly saturated market.

含羞草研究社淭here isn含羞草研究社檛 much competition when it comes to horseradish and I think, ultimately, it含羞草研究社檚 because it含羞草研究社檚 not a very nice thing to work with,含羞草研究社� she laughs.

The product line currently has three varieties 含羞草研究社� Dam Hot, Double Hot, and Redonkeylously Hot, which are available across B.C. in grocery stores and online from the Hee-Haw website.

As for how they see the company growing in the future?

含羞草研究社淚 just want to reach that goal of getting our product into the U.S. and the rest of Canada,含羞草研究社� says Graham. 含羞草研究社淏eyond that, I don含羞草研究社檛 even know. With something like this, when you started in such a small way, it含羞草研究社檚 crazy to think it含羞草研究社檚 already been as successful as it has. We含羞草研究社檙e very lucky.含羞草研究社�