SHAUNAVON — January has come to an end, along with most people’s New Year’s resolutions. A popular vow is to eliminate or reduce your sugar intake after the holidays. For one entrepreneur with connections to southwest Saskatchewan, it was that very desire that has led to continued success not only with her resolution, but with a business venture focused on sugar-free chocolate.
Nancy-Jean Taylor’s Keepsake Keto Candies & Chocolates was established in 2020 after she began to experiment with homemade keto chocolate recipes in her quest to rid her diet of sugar after the holidays.
Taylor explains her reasons for switching to a keto diet saying, “The question, when someone starts a keto free or gluten free or other type of diet, is why? It’s probably because someone in your family is having some food issues or allergy or starting a new food regime. I call it a regime rather than a diet because diet implies weight loss and that’s not why I started. I just wanted to clean the sugar out of my system after Christmas. Dessert has always been part of my life and still is. I soon discovered that my migraine headaches had disappeared. I’ve had two in 6 years now and I used to have 10-15 per year. So why would I go back to sugar? It’s inflammatory.”
Initially, she began as a home-based business. “I started experimenting with internet chocolate recipes. I took some items to the church fair and people seemed to enjoy them.” In 2023 she moved to a commercial location in the Broadway district in Saskatoon at 830 Dufferin Avenue, with frontage in the back alley, just behind Amigo’s. There is a small storefront space for selling her artisan chocolates and a certified commercial kitchen in the back which she indicates is peanut free and gluten-free.
Taylor graduated from Ecole Chocolat’s online Professional Chocolatier Program in 2020, completing courses in shelf life, nuts & fruit, ganache making, food safety in the chocolate world, and social media. This past year she travelled to France to attend Valrhona’s Ecole du Grand Chocolat. Eight students, in teams of two, made 22 different types of bonbons in three days.
“The chocolate used at Valrhona was chocolate sweetened with sugar, i.e. keto, but I could see things up close rather than on Zoom or online. It was a great experience.”
Taylor and her husband Bob ranched near Robsart until 2018. Many in the Â鶹ÊÓƵwest will recall her artistic endeavours and involvement with the Â鶹ÊÓƵwest Quest and the arts scene in the area. Her creativity plays a part in her artisan food business. She says, “I ask myself, how does something look? I want it to look good, but it isn’t so much about looks. It’s about the flavours and the textures. Texture is as important as the flavour. I rely on dried fruits, nuts and dairy for sweetness in addition to small amounts of sweeteners like erythritol.”
During some of her training, Nancy was introduced to the “Taste with Colour” chart developed by Hazel Lee.
“There are flavour nuances that can be found in chocolate that have been mapped. People don’t realize that they might taste citrus, fruit, honey or nutty flavours which bring to mind certain colours in the tasting.”
“I feature monthly indulgences and February is focusing on pink, purple and berries. Strawberries, pink peppercorns, passion fruit, raspberries, blackcurrants, yuzu and more delicious flavours and combinations will be featured.” Taylor also supports other Broadway district businesses, incorporating products from a local coffee roaster, Museo, and the Bulk Cheese Warehouse.
Taylor sources her chocolate through Canadian companies that import Venezuelan and Colombian chocolate. Prices have been increasing quite dramatically. She explains, “A cocoa slab that cost $45 in the fall of 2023 is now $92. I price my individual pieces based on an averaging of costs. I can start with cocoa nibs which are cheaper but it takes more work to get the smoothness.” Taylor makes micro-batches of her various chocolate creations and modifies existing recipes to suit the quantities she wants to create. She makes a line of unsweetened chocolate called TOTALLY! and a sweet version called MonKKey. Both kinds come in dark (DarKeto) and milk (MilKeto) versions. Ingredients for each of her products are listed on her website.
The store is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there is an online store. Shipping is available in winter until the end of May, but customers would need to pay for cold packs and insulation during warmer temperatures as shipping is not feasible during warmer months. Visit ketofinechocolate.ca or follow the store on Instagram for more information.
