- 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 weren乌鸦传媒檛 cooking by their parents乌鸦传媒� sides while growing up, they were helping out at their family乌鸦传媒檚 Greek restaurant. Time and again, customers and friends would ask them, 乌鸦传媒淲hat is it that makes Greek lemon potatoes so good?乌鸦传媒� If you乌鸦传媒檝e ever been to Greece or dined at a taverna, you乌鸦传媒檝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 they乌鸦传媒檙e cooked. They乌鸦传媒檙e not especially hard to make, but home cooks often simply don乌鸦传媒檛 have the time or the know-how. But Nora and Jenny are making it easier for people to whip up the dish that乌鸦传媒檚 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 J乌鸦传媒檚 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. It乌鸦传媒檚 foolproof.

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

乌鸦传媒淭he pandemic was our silver lining,乌鸦传媒� Nora says.

Here乌鸦传媒檚 the back story. The women乌鸦传媒檚 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 J乌鸦传媒檚 Seasonings Inc., which was founded by Jim Voulides, their late Uncle Jimmy. A former master chef with more than three decades乌鸦传媒� 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 J乌鸦传媒檚 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: it乌鸦传媒檚 the company乌鸦传媒檚 bestseller.

The pandemic, however, upended everything. Prior to the spring of 2020, Grandpa J乌鸦传媒檚 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 J乌鸦传媒檚, they needed more than a single item. That乌鸦传媒檚 when the women乌鸦传媒攂oth working moms乌鸦传媒攖urned to the dish they know so well and love.

乌鸦传媒淎ll of a sudden it hit me,乌鸦传媒� Jenny says. 乌鸦传媒淚 said, 乌鸦传媒榃e need to do Greek lemon potatoes.乌鸦传媒� But because the flavour comes from soaking up the juice, I thought, 乌鸦传媒業t can乌鸦传媒檛 just be a seasoning you shake on. It乌鸦传媒檚 got to dissolve in water and olive oil to make the juice, then you pour it over and bake.乌鸦传媒� I still have the piece of paper that I wrote my notes down on that say, 乌鸦传媒業t has to have tang乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒業t has to be the perfect colour.乌鸦传媒� That was the aha moment. I told my sister: 乌鸦传媒楾his is a winner.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 turned into so much more than a seasoning for potatoes,乌鸦传媒� she adds. 乌鸦传媒淵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. I乌鸦传媒檝e used it to fill samosas. I乌鸦传媒檝e mashed the potatoes with it; I乌鸦传媒檝e done savoury pie tarts. My mom adds it to hummus. You can do rice乌鸦传媒� You name it.乌鸦传媒�

The product is also a boon to people who follow plant-based diets because乌鸦传媒攚hile conventional Greek lemon potatoes are made with chicken stock乌鸦传媒擥randpa J乌鸦传媒檚 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 women乌鸦传媒檚 expectations, initially being stocked in 30 stores.

乌鸦传媒淭he momentum didn乌鸦传媒檛 stop until 90,乌鸦传媒� Nora says.

Now, the blends are in more than 125 stores in Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan, without any distributor on board乌鸦传媒攁nd that乌鸦传媒檚 just through the two women乌鸦传媒檚 efforts. Next up is Vancouver Island, and then: who knows? Grandpa J乌鸦传媒檚 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.

乌鸦传媒淥ur seasonings are always in season,乌鸦传媒� Jenny says.

Grandpa J乌鸦传媒檚 Greko Lemon Roast Potatoes Seasoning was a top-10 finalist for BC Food and Beverage乌鸦传媒檚 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.

乌鸦传媒淩yan Reynolds posted our Vancity Grind to his Instagram,乌鸦传媒� Jenny says. 乌鸦传媒淗e posted a picture of the Vancity Grind with a little caption that said, 乌鸦传媒業f this wasn乌鸦传媒檛 so good, I乌鸦传媒檇 be upset about the name.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒�.I felt like I had won the lottery. It was insane. Stores sold out immediately.乌鸦传媒�

Adds Nora: 乌鸦传媒淩yan Reynolds sent people into 125 small businesses, because that乌鸦传媒檚 where we乌鸦传媒檙e mostly stocked. That乌鸦传媒檚 what matters most.乌鸦传媒�

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

乌鸦传媒淲e get a lot of potato pictures sent to us,乌鸦传媒� Jenny says. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 such a compliment to us. We love it. We乌鸦传媒檙e honoured when people share what they乌鸦传媒檝e made with us.乌鸦传媒�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on