With a shared philosophy of “flavour first,” Anastasia Kaye and Steve Best have embarked on an entrepreneurial journey that will soon have them on the road, sharing their passion for food with the Shuswap.
Friends, business partners and self-described “culinary enthusiasts,” Kaye and Best can be found Saturdays at the Downtown Salmon Arm Farmers’ Market, introducing people to the first sauces created for their new business, Peak & Terra Food Co. The small-batch sauces, including Lion’s Roar Hot Sauce and Morel BBQ Sauce, are made by the duo at Zest Commercial Food Hub.
A chef for more than 25 years and the creator of award-winning hot sauces, Best said it didn’t take long to arrive a the recipe for the mushroom-inspired barbecue sauce.
“It’s fairly easy to make something and hide behind ingredients like sugar and vinegar, but it’s another thing to use culinary skills and knowledge and great ingredients in order to raise the bar,” said Best.
“There are similar ingredients in there to other barbecue sauces, but it’s what we choose to push to the forefront, like morels and really nice tomatoes and roasted vegetables.”
The Peak & Terra team have been winning over locals with both their sauces, with Lion’s Roar converting people who may normally be apprehensive when it comes to hot sauce.
“So many people come up and say they don’t like hot sauce whatsoever, and then we just talk to them about what’s in it and it helps if they have somebody, a friend or family, who is there as well who says, ‘Oh, you’ve got to try it!’” said Best. “And then they try it and they’ll be like, I really like that!’”
Sharing their Peak & Terra origin story, Kaye and Best explained they’re both relatively new to the area, but collectively they share about 40 years of experience in the restaurant/hospitality industry.
The two met for a beer in Salmon Arm to put their heads together and determine a path forward for that combined experience.
From there, Peak & Terra was soon born – the name reflecting the local geography from which they would draw their inspiration.
“The peaks of the mountains to the ground beneath us, there’s so much we can get inspiration from,” said Best.
The duo will be soon be introducing two more creations, a hot sauce called Hot Beetz, and their Mushroom Ale Mustard. Best explained the former, though spicier than Lion’s Roar, will be well-balanced with bold flavours. The mustard represents something of a partnership between Peak & Terra and the Shuswap’s Crannóg Ales, incorporating the brewer’s award-winning Backhand of God stout, hops and chestnut mushrooms.
Another thing Kaye and Best share is the dream of one day operating a food truck.
The two are in the process of getting one prepared to be on the road this summer.
Their main focus will be sandwiches, though they will also offer salads, soups, waffles and more.
“We both love sandwiches and there is so much you an do with them,” said Best. “They span all cultures, they span veganism, vegetarianism, they can hit everybody’s mark.”
Kaye and Best plan to run the food truck four days a week and will focus on serving breakfast and lunch, but also plan on doing evening pop-up events.
Though the food truck will be a dream-come-true, the duo still have a long-term vision for a brick-and-mortar establishment.
“Our big dream is to have a brick and mortar – we would love to do that,” said Kaye.
“But we just want to play it smart and do the process of sauce, the food truck and really build up our name so that we have a good following before we move on to anything like that.”
Kaye and Best also value the freedom that comes with a food truck. “With the food truck and the sauce company, we’re kind of free to roam, and that’s really good for us. As we are kind of outsiders to this wonderful place, we can explore and see all that this place has to offer,” Best said.
For more on Peak & Terra Food Co. visit peakandterrafood.ca. You can also visit the business on Instagram and Facebook, or stop by the Downtown Salmon Arm Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and see Kaye and/or Best in person.
Their sauces are also available at DeMille’s Farm Market and Grillers Meats.