Artisans
Categories: Creative People, Curious
Québec distillers make 116 different gins, many of them international award winners. There are over 50 craft distilleries, located from Havre St-Pierre to Gatineau producing not only gins but also vodkas, whiskeys, rums and even absinthe. And, over 100 micro-brewers – if you are still buying imported or production beer, you don’t know what you are missing. The growth in micro distillers and breweries is not just a Québec phenomena. There are high quality, locally produced spirits in every Canadian province, across the US, and in Europe. Since the year 2000, Australia saw over 20 micro-brewery startups. Distillers and brewers are artisans.
Why the focus on booze?
Well, Covid-19 has almost all of us drinking just a little bit more but the main purpose is to underline the explosion of “artisan makers” that have become such an important part of our economies. Sales of Québec micro-distillers grew over $780.0 million in 2019.
And, isn’t it fun to start this newsletter with the evolution of craft libations because of the very visible proliferation of new local brands wherever you may be purchasing your “stay at home” supplies. However, there are a multitude of other micro industries that have evolved over the last few years. Keeping with the original product group, there are small Québec companies making tonic for the afternoon “G&T” and ginger beers for Moscow Mules. My favourite mixers come from 1642.
Not Just Booze
The artisan movement goes well beyond the alcoholic beverage segment. I counted about 200 independent Canadian cheese makers on the Canadian Dairy Information web site and about 50% of these in Québec. Other small producers mill flour, make kombucha and specialty foods, roast coffee, and mix spices. In the
Many people now eat less meat but that sacrifice in quantity has translated into a search for quality. product The result – more small producers of locally and ethically raised livestock! And more butcher shops. For about six months of the year I buy almost all of my vegetables from an organic farm. I love to talk about food and wine.
and Food
Worldwide growth in the numbers of artisans and small manufacturing companies well beyond this segment and it is worldwide.
At one time, the jean factory in Cardigan, Wales employed 400 people. This town of 4000 people produced thirty-five thousand pairs of jeans every week. The factory closed when production shifted to Morocco. A London-based advertising executive longed to move back to Wales and so he took over the old factory space and started Hiut. The new company now makes 100 pairs of high-end jeans a week that retail for approximately C$300 to C$500.
The Workers Club, Goring, England
Goring is a small town of about 6000 people. From this location, The Workers Club curates a collection of men’s and women’s fashion that are designed and made in Great Britain.
Goodee, Montréal
Goodeeworld, a certified B corporation, is a seller of items from creators and makers around the world. Browsing the merchandise on the Goodee website gives some sense of the international artisan movement.
Atelier Make, 1241 rue Gilford, Montréal
……..porcelain tableware to intricate paper cutouts, their products bring the beauty and pleasure of fine craft into contemporary daily life. With a design aesthetic that is at once rustic and contemporary, Atelier Make’s designs appeal to a new generation of fine-craft enthusiasts. The studio prides itself on a small batch, locally handcrafted model of doing business. From its Website
Bicycles
Mariposa Bicycles, Toronto Mariposa has hand-built bicycles since 1969. Cycling is an efficient way to get around cities and there are many local e-bike makers. The cycling accessories industry has exploded. Thousand , a Los Angeles company, launched on Kickstarter in 2015 with the goal of making bicycle helmets that people want to wear and with a goal of saving 1000 lives. They ship to Canada so visit their web site at
BC Blacksmith, Granville Island, Vancouver, BC
BC Blacksmiths makes unique wrought iron items such as stair railings, gates, light fixtures, and curtain rods at its Granville Island studio.
Sabian Cymbals, Meductic, New Brunswick
This world renowned manufacturer of cymbals is located in Meductic, New Brunswick, a tiny town of 173 people on the banks of the Saint John River.
I realize that artisans make products that you cannot buy at Walmart prices. However, the trend is away from disposable consumerism.
Many artisans were corporate executives, lawyers, and advertising professionals who wanted to live a simpler life and to support the communities where they grew up. It would seem that:
“Making a modest profit that supports you through a firm that you can pass on and of which you’re proud seems closer to the goal than simply closing a big-money deal.”
The Entrepreneurs, Issue 03, 2020