Starter Company Plus Spotlight: Lindan Courtemanche
Beautiful spice blends and neat branding come to mind when we think of The Gorgeous Spice Co. Lindan Courtemanche, Owner and Mastermind behind this wicked Creemore based company has truly brought fun back into the kitchen with these incredible products. Alongside running a business, Lindan has been part of our 2021 Starter Company Plus cohort. With graduation in near sight, Lindan finished the program with valuable takeaways and even had her product featured in the 2021 Xcelerate Summit VIP box. Attendees from all across Simcoe County will be enjoying a little bit of The Gorgeous this weekend.
Congratulations, Lindan! We can’t wait to follow along and see how your business evolves. To learn more about Lindan and The Gorgeous, read on for a short Q+A.
The Gorgeous Spice Club is a way to fall in love with cooking all over again. Each month, members receive everything they need to discover new flavours, play and experiment with them, and then bask in the amazement of everyone they cook for.
The heart of the Gorgeous experience is our custom blends. Blends are fun. They’re versatile, they’re easy to use (and hard to overuse), and they encourage experimentation. You don’t have to fuss or be an expert to get great results. (That’s the point of our soon-to-be-famous Popcorn Test: If a spice blend makes irresistible popcorn, it might just work on anything.)
All of our spices and blends are fresh ground and hand blended for us locally, no more than a week before sending them to our members. We grind them in small batches using a manual process that preserves their natural oils, which it turns out is where the flavour is!
What is your favourite part about being an entrepreneur?
I love the process of transforming an idea into a reality. Being an entrepreneur means I get to do this almost every day!
What inspired you to start your business?
I have always loved to cook and to bake, but when I started to discover what using spices could do to elevate flavour, and how they made the kitchen the most creative space in the home, I knew I had to share that feeling.
What takeaways are you looking to get out of the Starter Company Plus program?
It has been such a tremendous experience to be a part of this cohort of really brilliant and diverse companies that call South Georgian Bay their home. I am really delighted to be part of this vibrant business community.
What services or products do you offer?
The heart of The Gorgeous is our collection of spice blends and incredibly fresh spices. These can be purchased as individual spices, but our most popular product is our Gorgeous Spice Club subscription. The subscription is available as a 3, 6 or 12m month subscription. The way it works is every month a mystery spice and blend arrives along with a collection of seasonal recipes, a playlist (to create the right spice vibe in your kitchen) along with other fun spice culture.
Who do you look up to for ideas and inspiration?
Wow, this is a great question! I am very fortunate to have a tremendously creative family and community around me. I am inspired by a lot of different people, in lots of different ways.
What is your favourite spice blend and why?
Nooooo, I can’t answer this question. It’s too hard to choose just one!! Really. They are all so different and delicious in different ways.
Where do you get your inspiration for your beautiful branding?
Aww. Thanks for the compliment! When we were first thinking about the branding, I was struck by the idea that we eat strictly for nourishment – we eat almost as a type of entertainment! And it was amazing to see how flavours and great food intersect with pop culture. Thus, the naming and the graphic design feel of it. An example is the role of food in spy novels. This inspired the name of our exotic blend, ‘The Spice Who Loved Me’. The flavours of Kaffir Lime, Tamarind and Lemongrass made me think of a spy novel that is set in Indonesia. Others connect to music, surfing, suspense films, and the zodiac.
Some are a bit of a stretch, but it’s always fun to think about the connections.
Who is your biggest cheerleader (and why)?
I think I would have to say my husband is my biggest cheerleader for sure! He is also my sounding board for business ideas and a key source of inspiration. Plus, he is often a taste tester of newly developed recipes! (Which I think he enjoys!)
If a celebrity was to purchase from you, who would it be (and why)?
Ha, that’s easy! Just before the holidays last year, I happened to be on Instagram one evening and Jennifer Garner was on live. She had a long plaid nightshirt, a Santa hat and ridiculous oversized fuzzy slippers on and she was dancing around in her kitchen baking cookies from a cookbook from a small bakery in Savannah, Georgia – Back in the Day Bakery. (I think it was one of my most favourite moments on Insta!!) So, I would be over the moon if I ever heard Jennifer Garner was using The Gorgeous Spices!
What’s your favourite product or service that you offer?
The Gorgeous Spice Club subscription is definitely my favourite offering! If someone enjoys cooking (or enjoys eating), it’s such a creative approach to adding flavour to your meals. The way it works is the spice and blend arrive in the mail, and then an electronic newsletter follows with loads of seasonal recipes, fun spice culture tidbits, and a playlist to give your kitchen a fun spicey vibe.
What technology innovation made the most impact on your life?
The Internet. I can’t imagine trying to run a business without it. I use so many platforms online every day. It makes it possible to be an entrepreneur in a way that wouldn’t have been possible before.
What is your favorite book and why?
My favourite book is ‘The Conversations, Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film’. It’s a recounting of conversations between Michael Ondaatje and Walter Murch when they met on the set of The English Patient’. For anyone with an interest in filmmaking, this is a great read! Murch is an iconic film editor, but beyond that he is a really fascinating person. (The conversations go beyond filmmaking and into music, architecture and even quantum physics.
What movie can you re-watch over and over again?
Big Fish! I love any movie that blurs the lines between an impossibility and a magical reality. And who better than Tim Burton to direct such a tale!?
Give The Gorgeous Spice Company a follow on social media and make sure to check out their website if you’d like to be a part of their spice club. It’s time to level up your kitchen adventures!
Website – https://www.thegorgeousspiceco.com
Instagram – @thegorgeousspiceco