For one of the world’s largest growers of mustard, Saskatchewan’s mark on the gourmet mustard map is relatively small. Val Michaud, CEO and owner of Gravelbourg Mustard, wants to change that.

“Seventy-five to 80 per cent of mustard grown in Canada comes from Saskatchewan, and 40 to 50 per cent of the world’s mustard comes from Saskatchewan, so it’s important to use that resource,” said Michaud.

“It’s so disheartening to see our resource … get exported out to different countries, and make gourmet mustards, and then we Canadians buy it back as a finished product.”

Michaud’s mission is for you to try mustard made at home.

Must-try local mustard

Gravelbourg Mustard produces CO-OP GOLD^® Gourmet Mustard in three flavours: Honey Dill, Garlic and Smooth Dijon. The company comes from Michaud’s agricultural roots and passion for keeping things local. Growing up in a farm family and seeing how mustard was grown introduced Michaud to its potential.

“I could create something with this product and get it recognized as a Saskatchewan product,” Michaud knew.

When Gravelbourg Mustard was up for sale in 2011, she saw an opportunity to turn her passion for local food into a living, so she bought the business and started exploring different tastes.

Using her own recipes, Michaud has created many flavours unique to Gravelbourg Mustard, including Saskatoon Berry, which is delicious paired with white meat. The spicier Jalapeño flavour is her favourite, but the new Beer Style with whole mustard seeds is also a contender.

Starting out at a rental kitchen in Gravelbourg, a town of about 1,000 people in south-central Sask., Michaud was able to produce 60 kilograms of mustard per day, which is a fraction of her current output. Now, with the help of workers at the Food Centre in Saskatoon, Sask., Michaud can make up to 1,000 kilograms, or almost 5,000 jars of mustard, per day.

Getting mustard to the masses

It’s Michaud’s hard work and unique ideas that separate her gourmet mustards from typical brands, and the product is getting praise from industry and business experts. 

“I’ve had many people come up to me, whether they’re chefs or head organizers of Gold Medal Plates, tell me that my product is definitely high-end and the quality is there,” she said.

In December 2017, Michaud took Gravelbourg Mustard to Dragons’ Den and was offered a deal.

The appearance on national television offered a definite boost for recognition, one of the biggest challenges in the industry. The collaboration with Co-op has helped with exposure, as well.

“If anybody knows how difficult it is to get your product out there—it is difficult—but once you do and you see that product on the store shelves, it’s very rewarding. That hard work has paid off,” said Michaud.

Making her mustardpiece

Michaud knows that people are ultimately looking for high-quality local products, and she’s ready to meet that demand. She believes there is enormous potential to showcase the quality of Saskatchewan-produced goods, especially those that use rich local resources like mustard.

“As a province, we do have such quality products and it’s great to have a platform like Co-op … to highlight those,” Michaud said.

And once her mustard is in every Western Canadian household, then it’s just a matter of bringing that taste of Saskatchewan to the world.

“If I can export that company and that product to other countries … that would be a pat on my back,” she said. “I would be very proud to see it expand to those levels.”