- Story by Tess van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

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Not many people can say they害羞草研究所檙e the big cheese. But Nanaimo害羞草研究所檚 Eric McLean sure can and he has the T-shirt to prove it.

害羞草研究所淧eople get a good chuckle out of it and it helps me stand out,害羞草研究所� laughs Eric, who started McLean害羞草研究所檚 Specialty Foods 27 years ago.

The Glasgow native was even inducted into the Guilde des Fromagers, or 害羞草研究所渃heese hall of fame,害羞草研究所� five years ago. And his passion for good food is contagious.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like one of my customers said the other day 害羞草研究所� life害羞草研究所檚 too short to eat bad cheese,害羞草研究所� Eric says.

The idea for the specialty foods store, located in Nanaimo害羞草研究所檚 Old City Quarter, was actually the result of Eric and his wife, Sandy, being unable to find ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, prosciutto and good cheese when they moved to the Harbour City almost three decades ago.

害羞草研究所淲hen we moved here from Vancouver 28 years ago there was nothing,害羞草研究所� explains Eric. 害羞草研究所淲e just realized there was a big hole in the market. It害羞草研究所檚 hard to believe, but before I opened the store in 1992 you couldn害羞草研究所檛 even buy balsamic vinegar and nobody knew what San Pellegrino was.害羞草研究所�

For Eric, who害羞草研究所檇 worked in the food industry since immigrating to Canada in 1980, opening the store 害羞草研究所渉ad to be done害羞草研究所� and he says many of his first customers had also recently moved to Nanaimo from larger cities like Vancouver and Toronto.

害羞草研究所淟ike us, they害羞草研究所檇 moved here and couldn害羞草研究所檛 find what they were used to buying,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚 promoted the store at first as a place to get hard-to-find ingredients.害羞草研究所�

With around 150 different kinds of cheese 害羞草研究所� one of the largest selections on Vancouver Island 害羞草研究所� as well as gourmet oils, vinegars, truffles, p芒t茅s, a delicatessen and wide assortment of Danish, British, European and South African specialty items, McLean害羞草研究所檚 has attracted a loyal following over the years and a surprising number of new customers.

害羞草研究所淓very single day for the past 20-plus years, we害羞草研究所檝e had at least one person, and usually several, say: 害羞草研究所極h this is great, we害羞草研究所檝e never been here before害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所楩riends told us about this place, we just moved here,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Eric says. 害羞草研究所淓very single day, without a lie, so can you imagine what that does for our confidence. We害羞草研究所檙e doing something right and the positive reinforcement has been phenomenal.害羞草研究所�

But running a small business isn害羞草研究所檛 easy. In the beginning, sourcing the products was the biggest challenge. However, now the challenge is competing with grocery and big box stores that have big buying power and are now carrying more specialty items.

害羞草研究所淚n the last three-to-five years, supermarkets have suddenly discovered things like balsamic vinegar and prosciutto,害羞草研究所� explains Eric. 害羞草研究所淭he biggest challenge is supermarkets have realized specialty foods are part of a growing market. But their main motivation is price and they can害羞草研究所檛 tell you what to do with the product.害羞草研究所�

While Eric says he usually can害羞草研究所檛 compete on price, he can offer something chain stores can害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所� specialized service and extensive product knowledge.

害羞草研究所淲e can spend time with the customer and tell them what to do with the product, share recipes and share our experiences using it. And that has given us the edge,害羞草研究所� Eric says. 害羞草研究所淚 teach my staff to get to know our customers and to treat them like they害羞草研究所檙e important, because they are. I may sign their paycheque but I don害羞草研究所檛 pay them. I tell staff to always remember the customer pays them.害羞草研究所�

Eric says the most important lesson he害羞草研究所檚 learned in running the business has been to trust his instincts. But the best advice came decades ago, when he was still in Scotland and training in sales, from a man who would become his mentor.

害羞草研究所淗is name was George Burrows and he told me never, ever bullshit the customer because it will come back to haunt you,害羞草研究所� Eric says. 害羞草研究所淲e were in a shop one time calling on a good customer he害羞草研究所檇 had for a good number of years, and the owner was going to order this and that [from us] and George told him not to order it because it wasn害羞草研究所檛 a good fit for the store. I asked George what the heck he was doing because I thought we needed every sale we could get, and he told me that if he goes back next month and it害羞草研究所檚 still sitting there on the shelf, the customer isn害羞草研究所檛 going to be happy. 害羞草研究所楬e害羞草研究所檚 going to be really pissed off if I sold him something for the sake of selling something.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

The conversation has definitely stuck with Eric, whose other passion is music. He害羞草研究所檚 been playing guitar since he was 13 years old, including a stint professionally, and is one of the co-founders of the Nanaimo Blues Festival. His other claim to fame is launching Mott害羞草研究所檚 Clamato on Vancouver Island when he worked for Cadbury-Schweppes years ago.

害羞草研究所淚 learned an awful lot about product margins, how to merchandise product and how you can increase sales by moving product and repositioning it 害羞草研究所� because the location of the product is really key,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚 like to get a product that looks nice because basically it害羞草研究所檚 fighting for its life to get someone to pick it up. So the better or more interesting it looks, the better chance it has of finding a home.害羞草研究所�

After almost three decades in business, it害羞草研究所檚 clear Eric has found his home. But the grandfather of three isn害羞草研究所檛 planning to retire anytime soon.

害羞草研究所淧eople ask me if I have an exit strategy and I say, 害羞草研究所榟ow do you spell that? We害羞草研究所檙e going to keep on doing what we害羞草研究所檙e doing and trying to stay ahead of the curve.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

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