The gluten-free fans’ choice
Customers are loyal and willing to spread the word when it comes to their gluten-free goodies. As such, Kelowna’s Crumbs and Roses Gluten-Free Bakery was voted tops in Valley First Credit Union’s third annual Fan Choice Awards in the best food and drink category.
The awards allows people to vote for their favourite small-and-medium-sized local, independent businesses in the Okanagan, Thompson and Similkameen via Valley First’s and Enderby & District Financial’s Facebook pages.
This year, hundreds of social media users voted and the winners were just announced in three categories.
“We are very thankful we have such a dedicated and thoughtful group of customers who took the time to vote for our business,” said June Martens, who owns and operates Crumbs and Roses with her husband John and their daugther, Valerie.
“It is such a pleasure to work alongside the celiac and glutenfree community in the Okanagan and beyond.”
From its store at 443 Banks Rd. and online, Crumbs and Roses whips up gluten-free breads, buns, cakes, cookies, pies and pastries without sacrificing taste.
Seasonal favourites include gingerbread and sugar cookies and gingerbread house kits.
At CrumbsAndRoses.ca you can order treats and find recipes, including one for gluten-free Christmas turkey stuffing.
The Fan Choice Awards also saw Globally Fair in Kelowna tops in the best retail store category and NEU Movement in Vernon and Kelowna named best in beauty and wellness.
Globally Fair, at 3001 Tutt St., sells socially and environmentally sustainable handmade items from around the world, including Kenya, India, Peru and Nepal.
NEU has two locations, 5100 Anderson Way in Vernon and 1974 Kane Rd. in Kelowna, offering pilates, physiotherapy, yoga and massage. customers so far have run the gamut from those in construction and building maintenance to medical and manufacturing.
The scope isn’t geographically confined either, as he’s had clients from the Okanagan, Vancouver, England and Australia.
In fact, business has been so brisk in England that RWT has a London office with a consultant who help find capital for companies.
All of RWT’s clients have been referrals from companies happy with their turnarounds.
Tomlinson is also the chairman of Intraline Medical Aesthetics, which has its offices on the fifth floor of the Okanagan Innovation Centre in downtown Kelowna.
RWT’s office is on the same floor. go, it has made an important start.
Even a living wage of $18.21 an hour doesn’t go far.
That works out to about $37,000 a year based on full-time, which isn’t a lot when you consider the price of house, food and transportation, let alone any extras or little luxuries.
The provincial minimum wage of $12.65 translates to about $2,100 a month or $26,000 annually based on full-time.
That’s hardly enough for a single person to survive considering the average monthly rent on a one-bedroom apartment is $1,170, groceries run a minimum of $214 a month per person and utilities, transportation, clothes, insurance and taxes have to be paid for too.
The living wage in Vancouver has been set at $20.91 an hour and in Victoria, $20.50.