The flavourful, the nostalgic and the ‘axe-citing’
Taj Mahal Spices & Cheese
It’s a fusion of east meets west. Rich, Indian spices and a variety of locally-made cheeses — some that are vegan.
Taj Mahal in Ancaster was opened in 2015 by Arnie Hoffmann and Milap Bedi, who take pride in embracing the diversity of the community.
“We decided we wanted to do two cultures coming into one,” says Bedi, 37.
In addition to its focus on cheese and spices, the Wilson Street East shop highlights regional products, including Allison’s Savoury Pies in Milton, Hotti Biscotti in Hamilton, and Hot Mamas jellies and sauces from Orillia.
Bedi, who loves to cook, makes fresh lentil soup every day that customers can buy in takeout containers. As a way to share his knowledge about food, he regularly posts on the store’s Facebook page and website, sharing recipes that can be made in a pressure cooker as well as information about the healing properties of certain spices.
Talk of opening a store started when plans were underway for Bedi to move to Ancaster from St. Maarten, which he did three years ago. But he and Hoffmann couldn’t find local spots that sold the spices and lentils that Bedi had cooked with in his home country, India.
Hoffmann dreamt of opening his own store — as something the 53-year-old could transition to once he retires from his job at Hamilton Health Sciences.
One thing they have learned since opening is how welcoming and accepting the people of Hamilton can be, Bedi said, not only to “food and taste, but also to people from all walks of life.
“Although we are from two different countries, we are a couple as well.
“We were shy about people knowing,” he added, but people here “are so open-minded.”
Quills Invitations and Gifts
Jenn Lewis has had a lifelong obsession with making things out of paper.
As a kid, the Hamiltonian would play hooky from school so she could watch Mr. Dressup and exercise her creative side.
“I used to love staying at home just to do his crafts,” she said.
That enthusiasm helped fuel the fire that led Lewis to launch Quills Invitations and Gifts with her husband, James, in 2001.
The other catalyst was the attention the couple received after making their own wedding invitations.
They started designing them for friends and eventually that grew into part of the business, which offers three-piece custom invitations, gift items fashioned from Japanese paper, and workshops in calligraphy and cursive writing.
More recently, the shop launched letterwriting nights at its Locke Street South location, its base since February 2015.
The Locke Street Lettering Society meets on the first Thursday evening of every month. It’s a free night where 25 typewriters, along with dip pens and inks, are set out on tables for people to write letters using paper, envelopes and stamps provided by Quills.
Anywhere from 20 up to 75 often show up, Lewis said.
“People are wanting to get back into writing. They’re tired of sitting in front of a computer.”
Iron Den
Allen Rozon wants to take his axe-throwing business on the road.
The owner of Iron Den — which offers an axe-throwing league, other options for people to drop by and play, and bookings for groups of four or more — wants to move from his spot on Lottridge Street, where he opened his doors in February, to a yet-to-bedetermined location this summer.
He also wants to develop a “pop-up” side to the business, taking axe throwing on-site to companies for team-building exercises as well as to businesses that might be willing to rent out their space on slow nights.
All he needs, Rozon says, is about 1,700 square feet to set up three lanes, with two targets in each.
Rozon also owns a separate business, Tamahagane Arts, which is all about knife-, axe- and sword-making. His goal was to merge the two companies and give people a chance to make the objects that they’re throwing.
It hasn’t happened yet, but the plan is still on the table.
When Rozon moved to Hamilton a little over a year ago, axe throwing was the only thing he missed from Toronto, he says.
While he’s been doing it for seven years, axe throwing has become trendier recently.
“People are in the market today to pay more for experience than they are for stuff.”