A Made-in-Whistler Success Story

Whistler’s culinary landscape is dotted with great chefs from around the world who prepare the finest cuisine from ingredients sourced from near and far. Foodies and fans of CBC TV’s Dragons’ Den know the resort is also home to Nonna Pia’s Balsamic Reductions, a family-run company that produces its popular products — made from 100 per cent, three-leaf balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, and infused with fresh fruit and herbs — right here in Whistler. Chef Norm Strim first tasted 50-year-old balsamic vinegar straight from the barrels 20 years ago on a restaurant tour of Italy. He found it wasn’t readily available in Canada, so decided to try emulating its rich flavour by creating his own balsamic reductions. Nonna Pia’s Gourmet Sauces, named for his mother Pia (“Nonna Pia” to his children), was founded in 2010 and the products built a loyal following. In March 2014, the Strim family (Norm, wife Natasha and children Georgia and Oliver) appeared on Dragons’ Den and secured a $100,000 investment from “Dragon” David Chilton. This past summer, Chilton invested another $250,000. The reductions, which add an elevated zest when drizzled on meats, seafood, vegetables, pizza and salads, are now available in some 3,000 stores in Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, with plans to expand to the eastern U.S.

604-935-0774 | nonnapias.com