The Perfect Blend

The Perfect Blend

Jill's table partners with Fanshawe to celebrate 25th anniversary.

Jill’s Table, an awardwinning specialty food and kitchenware shop in downtown London, is celebrating its 25 th anniversary with a unique collaboration. Known for sourcing hard-to-find specialty ingredients and conducting popular cooking classes, Jill’s Table partnered with Fanshawe’s Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI) to bring unique recipes to market.

Jill Wilcox, owner of Jill’s Table, was inspired to create a smokey whiskey BBQ sauce after one of her favourite sauces was discontinued.

She also wanted to scale up her own recipe for a vegan rustic Sicilian pasta sauce for her customers.

“Our 25th anniversary seemed like the perfect time to bring these recipes to market,” says Jill. “I heard about CRI through two chefs I know who teach at Fanshawe, Paul Harding and Josie Olaveson. I know the high standards they have, and it seemed like a perfect partnership.”

The collaboration involved a full research team who helped develop the recipes. “The research and development process was a lot of fun, and my team enjoyed the taste testing,” adds Jill. “We made sure we opted for the best-quality ingredients.”

Renuka Waduge, project facilitator in Fanshawe’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Biotechnology (CARIB), explains the comprehensive support provided by CRI.

“We helped develop shelf-stable and scalable recipes, assisted with packaging and labeling, and prepared a marketing plan,” says Renuka.

“The research team went above and beyond to ensure the products were ready for the anniversary celebration.”

The products are now on sale at Jill’s Table as part of the downtown London store’s 25th anniversary product line.

“Seeing Jill’s vision come to life was incredibly rewarding,” says Paul. “It’s a great example of how local businesses and research partners can collaborate to create something exceptional.”