Hot Potato:
Jenny’s Delectables Finds Success
M
any small businesses grow out of a “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” situation. When Jennifer Kohut lost her job in Calgary’s oil and gas sector as a result of Alberta’s economic downturn, rather than lemonade, she started making stuffed potatoes. In 2016, Kohut started Jenny’s Delectables, a grass-roots business that came about through a combination of necessity, opportunity, and a genuine love of delicious and wholesome food. Having grown up on a farm, Kohut says she’s always had a “profound respect” for food and the people who grow it, but was always too busy with corporate work to pursue professional training or work in the food industry. But with no immediate opportunities in the energy industry available, she decided to build a new career for herself. Kohut found that new calling in the world of potatoes. It seemed like an unlikely choice — there are plenty of frozen potato options in grocery stores and they’re a relatively easy vegetable to prepare from scratch — but she figured that starting with something she loved and was often praised for, made good business sense. “I also have two young boys to feed, support and be a mom to,” Kohut says. “I had been making twice-baked potatoes for years and everyone always loved them and complimented them relentlessly, so one day while sitting down to dinner the idea was presented to sell these potatoes.” Kohut’s friends and family thought that her stuffed potatoes were good enough to sell, which is a common compliment thrown at home cooks, but in this case, they were absolutely right. She booked a booth at the Bearspaw Farmers Market and showed up with
16 Culinaire | November 2020
BY ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH
a batch of frozen potatoes. Customers who sampled the potatoes couldn’t resist them, and Kohut almost immediately sold out of product. She expanded to do more markets and within a matter of weeks was making a sustainable income for herself. To anyone who has tried the potatoes from Jenny’s Delectables, Kohut’s instant success isn’t all that surprising. Creamy and stuffed with ingredients like
smoked bacon, chives, and cheddar, the potatoes have a comforting, homemade taste. Again, most home cooks can prepare regular baked or boiled potatoes without much fuss, but twice-baked potatoes can be fairly labour intensive, so the convenience factor has definitely worked in Kohut’s favour. Jenny’s Delectables products are made almost entirely with locally sourced produce
