Story by Devon MacKenzie

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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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.

害羞草研究所淚 remember coming downstairs and Graham was in the kitchen, and he doesn害羞草研究所檛 really cook, so I said to him, 害羞草研究所榳hat are you doing?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 explains Pam, sitting on the sunny deck of their Oak Bay home. 害羞草研究所淗e just looked at me and said he was making horseradish and I just walked away.害羞草研究所�

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.

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

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

害羞草研究所淭hey said yes, and that was really the beginning of the whole adventure,害羞草研究所� Graham says.

With Graham working as a real estate agent and Pam as a physiotherapist, there wasn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淗orseradish is a brutal thing to work with,害羞草研究所� explains Pam. 害羞草研究所淵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 害羞草研究所� that was a ton of work but we always did it and we managed to keep our suppliers stocked,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 probably one of our favourite ways to sell the product because you get direct feedback right then and there,害羞草研究所� Pam says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 incredibly satisfying to connect with our customers directly.害羞草研究所�

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

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

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

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

害羞草研究所淎 lot of big companies just throw the whole root in and don害羞草研究所檛 peel it, but that makes it so much more bitter,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 Dragons害羞草研究所� Den. They were asked to present on the show, and four out of five Dragons gave them offers.

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

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.

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

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害羞草研究所檚 still made by hand in small batches, but the federal kitchen designation allows them to qualify for approval by the FDA.

害羞草研究所淲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,害羞草研究所� Graham explains.

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

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 easy to stay small and sell in the farmer害羞草研究所檚 markets and local grocery stores,害羞草研究所� Graham says. 害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檝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害羞草研究所檙e kind of stuck in the middle.害羞草研究所�

Despite that challenge, Pam says they害羞草研究所檙e lucky to not be selling in a particularly saturated market.

害羞草研究所淭here isn害羞草研究所檛 much competition when it comes to horseradish and I think, ultimately, it害羞草研究所檚 because it害羞草研究所檚 not a very nice thing to work with,害羞草研究所� she laughs.

The product line currently has three varieties 害羞草研究所� 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?

害羞草研究所淚 just want to reach that goal of getting our product into the U.S. and the rest of Canada,害羞草研究所� says Graham. 害羞草研究所淏eyond that, I don害羞草研究所檛 even know. With something like this, when you started in such a small way, it害羞草研究所檚 crazy to think it害羞草研究所檚 already been as successful as it has. We害羞草研究所檙e very lucky.害羞草研究所�